| Popmatters |
 As part of his “Nightwatchman Speaks” YouTube series, Tom Morello explained that he switched from major label Epic to the smaller, indie label New West because “the artist came first …The way that the record industry has changed, major labels like Epic, and Sony who runs them, their revenue streams today are all about ringtones rather than about content, necessarily, and they’re looking for very polished pop, American Idol-like hit makers”. Ironically, though, Morello has made the most commercial Nightwatchman record to date with World Wide Rebel Songs. Commercial enough for a major label, perhaps not, but the very definitive line between Morello’s folk acoustic alter-ego and his Rage Against the Machine virtuoso has most definitely been crossed here.
On his first two albums, the Nightwatchman resembled Neil Young’s solo days, playing straight-up acoustic folk in which the lyrics served as the driving force of the songs, but having now enlisted a backing band dubbed the “Freedom Fighter Orchestra” (Dave Gibbs on bass, Carl Restivo on guitar and piano, Chris Joyner and keyboards, and Eric Gardner on drums), Morello just created his version of Crazy Horse (though he doesn’t come within a mile of writing “Down By the River”). It’s not that the album turns the amps to 11 like Rage Against the Machine or Audioslave, but minus “Branding Iron” and “God Save Us All”, there is no subdued song. Whether it’s the boisterous, riff-doubling rock of “It Begins Tonight” or the choir-heavy “Stray Bullets”, World Wide Rebel Songs looks to be the record that could mark the Nightwatchman’s transformation (or Morello’s reversion)....full text |
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| Music |
The busiest member of Rage Against The Machine, Tom Morello returns with his folky Nightwatchman project. His acoustic alter-ego gets the added oomph of electric guitar and full backing band, adding musical strength along with the politically charged lyrics of Iraq War stomper "Stray Bullets". Fans of previous Nightwatchman albums will recognize the husky, weathered vocals and strummed acoustic pushing the dark, Falling Down inspired narrative of haunting "The Whirlwind", as Morello gravely warns, "There's a hornets nest inside my head / My daughter's gone, she won't be back / Behind chained doors, they burned to black".
While the light piano and gently strummed acoustic of "The Whirlwind", understated rebel folk of "God Help Us All", and Neil Young vibe of harmonica-laced jog "Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine" fit Morello's gruff vocals brilliantly, the album really shines when the full band erupts on tracks like the stomping mash of hard rock and blues on "It Begins Tonight", complete with snarling guitar solo. The southern acoustic sway of "Speak And Make Lightning" brings in a choir for a freewheeling, church revival vibe. The thick bass line rolling through clanging wind-chime percussion creates a lush feel for the gorgeous "Facing Mount Kenya", though Morello's hushed vocals tend to evaporate into the backdrop a bit too easily....full text |
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| Rollingstone |
| Earlier this year, Tom Morello's Nightwatchman released Union Town, an EP inspired by last winter's protests against Scott Walker, Wisconsin's right-wing governor. Walker is now polling lower than genital warts, but Morello's still swinging: "Save the hammer for the Man," he advises on his newest, which includes Rage-style agit-metal and a folk rocker where Iraq soldiers take out their commanders. But Guthrie-esque romanticism bumps up against uncertainty: On "God Help Us All," he sings, "We're wanderin' with no future and no hope," well aware there are harder winters to come....full text |
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