Street Sweeper Social Club is one of my most eagerly anticipated albums of the summer. The record is the self-titled debut collaboration from guitar guru Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, The Nightwatchman) and rapper Boots Riley (The Coup).
The grinding yet groovy guitar work collides with the vicious pounding rhythm section, creating a sound as close to Morello's former band Rage Against The Machine as anything we've heard yet. It's a sound that the musical landscape is definitely missing. Until now nobody has been able to produce rap-rock that hit as hard as RATM.
Lyrically the album is pretty much what you'd expect from this duo. Social and political consciousness is front-and-centre, the message delivered by Riley's pointed raps.
The album opens with "Fight! Smash! Win!", a track that features a very familiar RATM guitar bounce. "Megablast" and "Shock You Again" are in-your-face rap metal blasts.
There are some surprisingly catchy moments as well. "100 Little Curses" features a Bad Religion-style 'whooooa' refrain that will have you singing along. The laid back verses and motherfucker chorus of "The Oath" is reminiscent of the best of Fun Loving Criminals, while "Promenade" is almost an all out booty-shaker.
There are some dips in the momentum however. Tracks like "The Squeeze", "Somewhere In the World It's Midnight", "Good Morning, Mrs. Smith", and "Nobody Moves (Til We Say So)" have a hard time keeping up the intensity.
At the end of the day, Street Sweeper Social Club is just what the doctor ordered to grab the music scene by the throat and shake things up.
Best tracks: "The Oath", "Promenade"
Track listing for Street Sweeper Social Club:
- Fight! Smash! Win!
- 100 Little Curses
- The Oath
- The Squeeze
- Clap for the Killers
- Somewhere In the World It's Midnight
- Shock you Again
- Good Morning, Mrs. Smith
- Megablast
- Promenade
- Nobody Moves (Til We Say So)
7.5/10
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