A Ballad from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Written by
by James Minchin

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are dependable purveyors of great rock music but what I didn’t expect from their new album is a fantastic ballad, which they’ve produced with “Lullaby”.  It only takes a few seconds to pull you in and may be one of their best songs.


Anne Litt turned me onto this track before I had a chance to consume the full album, focusing mostly on straight ahead rockers like the driving “Let the Day Begin”.

The trio of Leah Shapiro (Drums), Peter Hayes (Guitar / Vocals), Robert Levon Been (Bass / Vocals) have been making music together for 15 years now and “Specter at the Feast” is their 6th album. The LA-based band holed up in Santa Cruz to record and it was a work in progress for two years. It was a difficult road, in part because the band lost an unofficial member during their  2010 tour. Robert’s father Michael Been — known for fronting 1980’s alt-rock group, The Call — died while backstage.  He was BRMC’s sound engineer. The result is a heartfelt album inspired by the loss of their mentor.

They play the Wiltern on June 1 but, if you can’t wait, you can see them on April 22 at the Fillmore in San Francisco and April 23 at the House of Blues in San Diego.

RR