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Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman

The Fabled City

Epic

Nov 01, 2008 Year End 2008 - Best of 2008 By Frank Valish

In 2007, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello reinvented himself as a Woody Guthrie-esque acoustic guitar strumming protest singer and rechristened this new self The Nightwatchman. His debut, One Man Revolution, while ripe with sociopolitical intent, suffered from over-reliance on the one-man acoustic approach and a singing style that often lacked the subtlety or dynamic that the songs required. On his sophomore effort, Morello sounds much more comfortable at the mic, his singing stronger and more confident both at its most rollickingly forceful and its whispered quiet. But primarily, The Fabled City benefits from musical diversity. “The Lights Are on in Spidertown” is a bouncy, lively revolt, and “Saint Isabelle” engages with a harmonica-led chant and fists-high swagger. “Night Falls” and “Lazarus on Down,” the latter with System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, both feature affecting orchestration. And “The Iron Wheel,” a song about realizing mortal limitations, boasts a defiant sing-along chorus worthy of Rage, albeit presented in a genre worlds away. With The Fabled City, Morello’s Nightwatchman has fulfilled much of the promise hinted at on One Man Revolution. This time Morello’s revolution is all encompassing, and everyone is free to chant along. (www.nightwatchmanmusic.com)

Author rating: 7/10