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Highway Cruiser

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BLACK BOX REVELATION (Artist) Format: Audio CD

3 customer reviews

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Highway Cruiser

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MP3 Music, November 1, 2015

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Audio CD, Import, October 16, 2015

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Vinyl, Import, November 6, 2015

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Product details

Audio CD (October 16, 2015)
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Import
Label: Universal
ASIN: B015I8Y374
Average Customer Review: 3 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #818,367 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #300090 in CDs & Vinyl > Rock
- #522371 in CDs & Vinyl > Pop

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3.5 stars... long-awaited return could use more focus and hooks

November 18, 2015

Format: Audio CD

Black Box Revelation is a garage-rock band out of Belgium, consisting of just 2 guys (singer/songwriter/guitarist Jan Paternoster and drummer Dries Van Dijck). Their 2007 debut album "Set Your Head On Fire" was released to critical acclaim (in Europe anyway, it got little or no attention in the US). In early 2010 they released the stellar "Silver Threats" album (see my review there), still my favorite BBR release to date. In Fall, 2011 came the third album, "My Perception" (see my review there). Now, after a 4 year wait, finally comes the 4th studio album from these guys. If you are unfamiliar with the band's sound, think of it as the Black Keys-meet-Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (but more Black Keys than BRMC).

"Highway Cruiser" (10 tracks; 40 min.) opens with a promising "Stop Breathing", followed by a hard-charging "Riverside". However, "War Horse" wanders without aim. The title track is a slow burner, heavy on the blues. "Founding Heart" could've come straight from BRMC's "Howl" album (and that is not a complaint, mind ya). Side 2 of the album opens with "Live Forever" (no, not a cover of the Oasis classic), another middle-of-the-road stomper. Later comes "Gloria (feat. the Gospel Queens) (1st single). No. it's not a cover of the Van Morrison classic, but it's another mildly engaging mid-tempo blues rocker. The album closes with "I Can't Find It", one of the better tunes on here. However, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed with this long-awaited return from BBR. Given the stellar output on their first 3 albums, "Highway Cruiser" feels a bit uninspired, lacking focus and killer riffs.

I picked up this album during a recent family visit to Belgium. Given it had been so long since their previous album, frankly I had lost track of these guys, so when I saw this at the CD store, I couldn't believe my luck. I wish that BBR would tour the US more extensively. The only time I've seen them live was in December 2011, when they opened for Beady Eye at the 9:30 Club in DC. What a set that was! I was probably one of the few people at the show who was familiar with them. People around me couldn't stop talking about how good these guys were, and "who are these guys anyway?". Welcome back, guys. I just wish "Highway Cruiser" were a little bit stronger.

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January 8, 2016

Format: Audio CD

Highway Cruiser is neither a disappointment nor is it a pleasant surprise.

I'm always skeptical of new albums, so I may be a bit more critical than some. Highway Cruiser has some enjoyable songs on it, but it doesn't hit you like BBR's previous efforts. It's not quite as unique as BBR used to seem.

I'm also not a fan of the cliche/cheesy sounding backing vocals on "Gloria". The solo in "War Horse" sounds like it was ripped straight from Queens of the Stone Age (even if it does sound good). "Walk Another Line" is probably my favorite song on the album, and "I Can't Find It" has a nice breakdown (if derivative of BBR's own past music) in the latter half.

The worst part is that BBR continue with too much dynamic range compression on the mastering. It sounds dull, and there's audible clipping as well. If you don't know what this means then you probably won't care. For me it's a dealbreaker. I'm not sure how musicians have such a bad ear when it comes to sound quality.

Would I recommend it? Hard to say. I don't think you'd be missing much if you didn't get it, but if you're a hardcore BBR fan then it's probably something to look into. Though it's not even available in the U.S. (I guess BBR hasn't found much of a U.S. audience, which surprises me).

2.5/5

Comment

March 9, 2016

Format: Audio CD

A by-product of the White Stripes' success is that a number of people have figured out that two people can be enough in rock and roll if it's done right. Unfortunately, this is hit-and-miss, depending on the musicians involved. Royal Blood are an example of getting it right; Belgian twosome Black Box Revelation are somewhere between good and kill-me-now.

The biggest culprit is vocal: Singer-guitarist Jan Paternoster boasts a nasal whine somewhere between Billy Corgan and John Linnell of They Might Be Giants (not a compliment) which is more prominently grating on longer notes. The music is rudimentary and crisp, getting the basic job done but nothing more, and once the vocal hits it's all over. Force-pronouncing words to fit the music (try pronouncing "window" with the emphasis on the second syllable) and saying "war" so it rhymes with "car" screams "I'll get this English thing down someday" to an annoying degree. With neither music nor singing pushing any envelopes, this album is worth three listens, tops.

The lyrical tics could have been pointed out and fixed by a good producer; the voice itself is something else. The result is a great approximation of American rock for a Belgian audience that won't fly far on a global stage, and it's a classic lesson of music: you can ape your influences and get stuff done if you're decent, but to make your own mark you have to transcend those influences at some point. Black Box Revelation haven't come close to doing that.

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