- Record Label: Virgin
- Release Date: Apr 3, 2001
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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This self-produced major-label debut boldly plunders a reverb-and-white noise course previously trampled underfoot by long-gone British bands of the late '80s and early '90s (the Jesus & Mary Chain, the Verve, Ride, the Stone Roses, etc.).
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Alternative PressThere's a defiance to BRMC's carefully crafted mix of brooding vocals and blurred melody that unites disparate musical elements into blasts of noisy cohesion and howling passion. [#155, p.72]
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BlenderAlways dark, sometimes lovely. [Jun/Jul 2001, p.105]
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Although the album lags somewhat in parts and is bogged down a bit by an overarching sameness, this is a promising start.
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Either they've been taking too much heroin or not enough, but 'Black Rebel Motorcycle Club' is as limp as a soggy spliff the ragged morning after.
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A flawless blend of acoustic-turns-into-fuzz guitar work and backbeat rhythms that create the aural equivalent of fog.
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B.M.R.C. deliver potent, intelligent, memorable melodies that are both subtle and provocative.
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MagnetThis California band seems to be one of those rare times when the major labels get it right. [#50, p.80]
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MojoAll BRMC really have in common with The Strokes is hype and haircuts, but their music lives up to both. [Feb 2002, p.92]
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They're merely using Psychocandy as a workaday aesthetic strategy and, despite loads of melodrama, they never sound pretentious about it either.
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All of these incredible songs shimmer and vibrate with the riotous majesty of 'Psychocandy' without a trace of the Mary Chain's post-'Honey's Dead' self-parody.
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Consistently excellent and deserves to be heard by fans of 70's glam and shoegazer alike.
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Q MagazineWhat makes BRMC extra special and what steers them well clear of parody drone-rock territory is their three-dimensional sound. [Jan 2002, p.103]
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When it pays off -- which is more often than not -- BRMC's fuzzed- out angry shoegazer stance reaches levels of sonic brilliance unmatched by any of their peers.
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UncutOne Lupine Howl is already too much, thanks. [Feb 2002, p.111]
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These songs don't require repeated listening to foster appreciation; they affect immediately -- and relentlessly.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 24 out of 26
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Mixed: 0 out of 26
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Negative: 2 out of 26
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kitNov 24, 2005quite possibly the best album of all time
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lennysMay 10, 2005best blend of rock for thee ages... and such
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BenTJan 22, 2005