San Francisco's BRMC return this year with their sixth album. For their latest, Beat The Devil's Tattoo, BRMC seem to have gone backwards in time and found their original sound which once made them the talk of the town. BRMC have recently lost Nick Jago and added Leah Shapiro, touring drummer for the Raveonettes. With that lineup change, the band sounds seemingly more focused than ever before. We can always go back and discuss recent shortcomings when it comes to the last few albums, which seems to be what most people can think of upon hearing mention of the BRMC but this is some of the best stuff the band has put together since their self-titled debut. Is it the greatest music they've released? No, not exactly, but this album should not be overlooked as so many have already done. BRMC seemed to have rediscovered their intensity which can be felt on tracks like eponymous opener "Beat The Devil's Tattoo" which is a blues stomping swamp-rocker. BRMC also do the less harsh folk act on tracks such as "Sweet Feeling" but then turn it all back around with rocker "War Machine" which is saturated in dirty distortion. Closing track "Half State" cannot go without mention as it sits at over 10 minutes long and is overflowing with effect pedal after effect pedal. The guitars are just brimming with delay pedal effects, and eventually even that gets swallowed up by some of the best use of a wah-wah pedal I've heard in a while. The song suckers you in with its hazy, cool feel until the amps are kicked into overdrive which feels like a kick in the teeth. BRMC seem to be back on track and with any kind of luck they can regain some of the momentum they lost so long ago.
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