Streetsweeper Social Club - 'Streetsweeper Social Club' (Warner) 16/06/09

Rage Against the Machine II? Audioslave revamped? One Man Revolution plus one? Its difficult to decide where Street Sweeper Social Club - Tom Morello's new side project - fits in against these other projects. Truth is its a bit of all of these and something new at the same time.

Of course, calling this Tom Morello's project ignores that there is another force at work here. Boots Riley is sitting on the vocal helm for this journey – and part of me can't help think he's a De La Roche fill-in. His vaguely political commentary certainly holds more in common with Rage material than perhaps the Audioslave era.

Yet Riley does bring a personality and a unique perspective to this project. Instead of an overt political hip hop rant, Riley deals in lyrics based in social commentary thats as critical of pop culture as it is of injusice. In truth it's more Jay-Z than Public Enemy. Yet this gives this side project a lighter feel than Rage's the taut emotional material which is welcome. 'Promenade' is a little bit soul disco. Hell, 'Fight! Smash! Win!' even has a line about being in the club!

Then again, some of this material comes close to days past. 'Clap for Killers' has a more than a passing semblance of the Morello's cover of 'Maggie's Farm' with Rage. And indeed this recycled material has been a criticism of Morello's work that us growing more frequent. Yet when you are  as idiosyncratic as Morello perhaps this bound to happen.
Criticisms aside there is some good material here. 'Somewhere In The World It's Midnight' holds its own in terms of Morello's past funk rock canon where as Riley demonstrates his formidable  vocal presence on 'Good Morning Mrs Smith' and both show skill at a alternative style on the aforementioned 'Promenade'.

This project is likely to raise Riley's profile, demonstrating him to be a formidable force. As for Morello, if this keeps the ideas kicking over for possible future release with Rage Against The Machine, so much the better. This release is a nicely credible move by both artists. But let's face it, it isn't the release you really, wanted was it?