Fans of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are at odds over the band’s new release, Howl. Gone are the distorted guitar, pulsating rhythms and noisy ambiance of their previous two albums. But to say this is like BRMC unplugged isn’t right either; the songs themselves are layered and constructed unlike earlier efforts. Though impeccably produced, Howl echoes the sounds of American roots music: blues, gospel and darker shades of country.

At times, listening to the album is like traveling back in time to the mid-to-late-sixties when early Stones, Dylan and Taj Mahal recordings traveled the airwaves. In fact, the tune “Complicated Situation” has moments that sound as if it was sampled from Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding).” While the title might be a misnomer, Howl’s strength is that it never strays from such roots, and the album as a whole is a strong collective of the influences upon which contemporary American music is built.

Favorite Track: Track 11, “Complicated Situation”