Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is one of the bands that refreshed the rock scene with their sound at the onset of the new millenium. Today, almost twenty years later, they are still doing it, although the power they had ceased significantly. Wrong Creatures is one damn average album.
The album comes five years after Specter at the Feast, and since they've never took such a long break, I was expecting they will be returning big time. Some of the promotional songs were justifying these expectations, but the final holistic result is that this record does not have anything that would attract some new fans. The old fanbase will be pleased, although not exhilarated.
Following intro DFF come few dismal songs in a familiar BRMC style. Jesus and Mary Chain mixed with garage rock is still their essence, although sporadic riffs spice it all up. The main problem are leftovers and fillers on the album, which reveal the band's lack of inspiration. If you like what Nick Cave has been doing on his past few albums, then you are definitely going to fall in love with Haunt, the album's diamond that has a magical faculty to hypnotize the listener instantly. Right next to it is Echo, strangely resembling U2.
In general, the second half of the album is slightly better. Question Of Faith offers intriguing enigma, while Calling Them All Away is full of Asian sounds and does not appear like anything they have created before. Who fell in love with BRMC 15 years ago will probably endorse Little Thing Gone Wild, even though it seems like an auto rip-off. Until the end of the record, they return to the monotony that has a monopoly until the very last tone.
Major issue of Wrong Creatures are anemic songs that open and close the album, particularly Ninth Configuration that was made without a grain of imagination. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have definitely seen better days, at least when it comes to studio recordings. On the other hand, I have heard that they are still a top-notch live act.
