Have you ever popped in a brand new CD by a band (or solo artist), and got something entirely different from what you were expecting? Usually when this happens, the results are either sheer genius (Radiohead's Kid A and Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot automatically come to mind) or sheer crap (Liz Phair's self-titled disc anyone?). Happily Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's new record falls into the former category and then some. Howl is such a radical departure from the band's other two Jesus & Mary Chain-like works, that I had to check the band's lineup to make sure that all the original members were still in tact. I mean, with a title like Howl, how could you expect anything BUT a continuation of their trademark Jesus & Mary Chain sound? Well, all three original members are still accounted for, and what has transpired on Howl has to be considered one of the most pleasant surprises of the year.

Nearly all of Howl is acoustically driven blues with hardly any electric guitar at all, and if that weren't hard enough to fathom the acoustic guitars are laid on a bed of hushed drums and harmonicas? Call it Spiritualized taking a crash course in Johnny Cash if you will. Both Peter Hayes and Robert Been sound like their voices were just waiting for this sort of musical renaissance. The way they harmonize to the gospel-stylings of the opener "Shuffle Your Feet" is awe-inspiring. And on "Devil's Waitin'," Hayes vocals are so vulnerable and exposed that you can't help but hang on every syllable that comes forth.

The dear God and help me Jesus approach gets a tad trite near the end of the album (sometimes mimicikng all of Spiritualized attributes isn't the best thing), but overall, the amazing grace of Howl's Roots Rock revival is such a welcome delight that I still find it hard to believe my ears. Old fans of B.R.M.C. might find this kind of thing incredibly dull, but I feel sorry for those that do. Howl will probably go down as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's crowning achievement.