Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman
The Fabled City

Campus Correspondent Review By Marion Olea,
North Central College


When people think of Tom Morello, they automatically associate him with Rage Against the Machine or Audioslave, but they fail to recognize him as a solo artist. Back with his second individual effort The Fabled City (Epic), Morello, alias The Nightwatchman, attempts to bring political activism back into his lyrical writings while at the same time separating himself as the guitarist of his other two successful rock bands – something fans of Morello need to keep in mind when listening to The Fabled City.

Making “Whatever it Takes” the album’s first single was a wise choice because helps lure in listeners and really grabs one’s attention. The song is very upbeat, with catchy lyrics, and oddly enough, fun to dance to. It might not entirely get his message across, but is a great song nonetheless. “The Lights Are on in Spidertown” and “Saint Isabelle” are two other great upbeat folk songs worth checking out.

However, when it comes to really getting his political views across, songs like “The King of Hell” and “Midnight in the City of Destruction” fall completely flat and can’t be taken serious. He uses Biblical imagery and metaphors to voice his ideals, but his monotone singing voice makes it hard to pay attention without getting completely bored. The album’s final song, “Rise to Power” faces the same dilemma as the other slower songs. He fails to properly execute his message and leaves the listener feeling fully uninspired by the end of the album.

Morello is a musical genius in his own right that has had a lot of commercial success with his bands and other side projects; nevertheless, if he wants to raise political awareness by means of his solo work, he needs to find that perfect balance that doesn’t leave the listener bored or just wanting to dance, but makes them really listen to what he has to say.