This cd was released back in April and it has been sitting on my mantle since then, and I don’t know why I left it there for so long. I guess I just assumed One Man Revolution was not gonna be my cup of tea and just kept pushing it to the back of the “to listen to” line. Ultimately, I guess I got to feeling guilty. I mean, someone took the time to send it to me, the least I can do is at least listen to it once, right? Well, that was last week, and it has been in heavy rotation ever since.

For those out of the loop, The Nightwatchman is the moniker of Rage Against the Machine/AudioSlave guitarist/superhero, Tom Morello. Some people have called it his folk alter-ego, but I don’t really think that’s fair. I think this is Tom we’re talking about here. Granted, it’s Tom unplugged, but I think it’s still him. No alter, no ego, just a political activist with a guitar, a view and a voice. Sound familiar? Sometimes channelling Irish battle songs and occasionally doing his best Springsteen impression, I was surprised how much Morello’s voice reminds me of Mark Knopfler’s.

All in all, I am really glad I finally got around to listening to this album. I am not really sure what I thought this cd was gonna be that made me avoid it for so long. Maybe I was just expecting a canned protest album, but what I got was something a lot more direct. The song “Flesh Shapes the Day” appealed to the domestic revolutionist inside of me with lyrics like, “Yeah, I support my troops. They wave black flags, they wear black masks.” Another song, “Maximum Firepower” has the menacing reminder that “If you take a step towards freedom, it will take two steps towards you.”

If you are finding yourself more and more discouraged with the events unfolding around you and on television, then this cd is trying to talk to you. Working class protest music for the people, and if that ain’t essential listening, then you’re probably a Republican.

The Nightwatchman - Maximum Firepower
The Nightwatchman - Battle Hymns
The Nightwatchman - One Man Revolution

The Nightwatchman’s Official Site, The Nightwatchman on myspace, Buy One Man Revolution