The Deal: Athens, Ga., based trio releases its third album.
The Good: Hot on the heels of the band‘s last release, 2008’s Mission Control, The Whigs look to immediately prove they aren’t some flash in the pan and try to show their best work is yet to come. It would be hard to improve on the sonically solid effort of Mission, but the band does a fine job here from the get-go. “Hundred/Million” with its snare-driven beat sets the new album off at a good pace. Parker Gispert’s vocals have gotten a bit raspier, but not in a bad way. They are, at times, coming out of a foggy haze or reverb, but it works alongside the atmospheric guitar work. I wouldn’t call it arena rock, but there are definitely some bigger radio-friendly type hits on this album – “Kill Me Carolyne” immediately feels like a show-closer of sing-along magnitude, at times reminding me of Kings of Leon. “Someone’s Daughter” has the heavy drum hits of Mission‘s “Right Hand on My Heart.” There’s almost a hint of alt-country angst behind the rock of “So Lonely,” but when you think it’s veering toward something too commercial, they hit you with a headful of feedback. The band slows things down a little for “I Don’t Even Care About the One I Love” and “Automatic,” but it shows their diversity – probably gives them a chance to rest in the live show, too.
The Bad: Not a weak track out of the 11 in the bunch.
The Verdict: As a fan of the band who attended its last few shows at the Visulite, I have to say I’m happy with the results here. It’s the perfect sequel to Mission Control that shows a bit of growth without losing the band’s signature style.
This article appears in Mar 16-22, 2010.
