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Tom Morello has spent decades as one of rock’s greatest guitarists, but instead of leaning on his trademark riffs, his latest solo album pulls together every chapter of a career that stretches from Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave to The Nightwatchman and his recent run of high-profile collabs, with 15-year-old son Roman sharing songwriting credits on five tracks.
It’s a ride with many twists and turns. The title track lumbers in on a bluesy groove, Tom’s weathered baritone recalling Johnny Cash at his most worldweary, while Adjourn It pairs Serj Tankian with the closest thing here to classic Tom Morello riffing. Date Night tears through a World War II resistance story with punk fire, Soldier In The Army Of Love smashes gospel, country and rap together before Tom fires up the fretboard, while Unconquered slams The Prodigy’s electronic pulse into Kneecap’s confrontational flow and Everything Burns, featuring Beartooth, lands one of the album’s biggest hooks.
By the time Tom reaches the Dylan-esque folk of The Last Rung On The Ladder and They Can’t Kill Us All, the album feels almost naked, leaving his convictions to speak for themselves. His politics haven’t softened with age, either. Serj Tankian’s righteous fury, Kneecap’s confrontational energy and Beartooth’s arena-sized punch all strengthen the songs while reinforcing themes of anti-fascism, immigrant rights and solidarity, all delivered through storytelling, punk energy and protest folk rather than sloganeering alone.
Tom’s playing remains unmistakable, yet it’s his versatility that leaves the strongest impression. Every side of his musical identity finds a place here, resulting in an album from an artist refusing to be defined by the instrument that made him famous.
Everyone Gets Everything They Want is out now via Mom & Pop.
