TOM MORELLO: THE NIGHTWATCHMAN

Call it a sweeping wave of coffee-shop liberalism brought on by the nearing election, but this platter of politically-charged neo-folk from Tom Morello's acoustic alias THE NIGHTWATCHMAN is really starting to grow on me. While there is a bit of selfish disappointment from the lack of Morello's signature six-string experimentation that I was hoping for as rumors of a new RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE album continue to brew, the songs themselves are a well-orchestrated, albeit somewhat overly dramatic, affair. I suppose, though, it wouldn't be an alter-ego if he were pulling the same old tricks out of his hat, and that's exactly what he doesn't do on "This Fabled City".

More Dylan than De La Rocha, the singer/songwriter route Morello takes on "This Fabled City" will undoubtedly go over the heads many of the revolution-hungry, anarchist contingency that makes up the majority of RATM's fan base, as well as those of the FM radio junkies that bought AUDIOSLAVE albums like they were going out style (which they thankfully did). An unabashed embrace of the traditional protest stylings of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie give the driven title track and more mellow, tell-tale "Midnight In The City Of Destruction" a sense of folksy realism. A thimbleful of overdrive and taste of funk makes the head-bobbin' "Whatever It Takes" the album's "most Morello" track. Forever the multi-culturalist, Morello brings bits of Johnny Cash-inspired Americana to the table with "King Of Hell" and even some traditional Russo-folk on "Lights Are On In Spidertown"; an almost comical tune in the sense that you can sing "Na-na-na-na, Na-na-na-na, Hey, hey hey. Goodbye" right along with the chorus. Perhaps the disc's strongest, or campiest, tune is the socially-conscious hymnal "Saint Isabelle". This inspirational folk ballad comes across a little like Dylan jamming with a clan of "hi-de-ho" mountain men, but is actually a bit cooler than I just made it sound. Joined by his brother is revolutionist arms, Serj Tankian, "Lazarus On Down" is a surreal and haunting dirge that evokes a world of emotion in its short playing time. Despite the addition of second generation rebel Shooter Jennings, "Iron Wheel" doesn't add much to the album itself, nor do melodramatic "Night Falls" or "Rise To Power" (the lyric "Baby, you gotta rise to power" being the straw that broke this camel's back).

Evil-doers, capitalists, industrialists, CEOs and politicos of all shapes and sizes beware; there's a new anti-hero stocking your shelves with point-blank ballads meant to shed light on your injustice. His tunes are solid — for the most part — and his voice is true, and while he's traded his innovative guitar tactics in for a more simplistic method of communication, his plea for reform still remains the same. He his Tom Morello and he is THE NIGHTWATCHMAN.