10 Shoegazing Epics You May Not Have Heard

By Elliot Davies /

7. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club €“ Take Them On, On Your Own

Take Them On, On Your Own was, of course, the name of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's second album. But this, the title track, only appeared as an added bonus on certain international editions. Why it didn't make the official tracklisting is beyond me; as not only would it have been the best track on the album, it also stands as perhaps the most powerful song they've ever written. Nothing about this song is clearly defined. Everything is buried beneath a murky griminess, as if the tape itself were encrusted with dirt. The guitars somehow roar like the revs of a filthy and battered engine. The vocals €“ tired, distant and barely audible €“ nonetheless drip with menace and intent. Whilst this is by no means my favourite song by them, in that it sounds exactly like you'd expect a band called Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to sound, it's perhaps their greatest achievement to date. Further Listening €“ Awake (B.R.M.C, 2001)