[rating=9.00]
Afghan Whigs’ efforts over the course of the past three decades have paid off — in spades actually — and that makes In Spades, the name of their latest release, their first since adding drummer Patrick Keeler (formerly of The Raconteurs and The Greenhornes) to the band in 2014, all the more appropriate. While the band has always championed a sound that evolved directly out of a ‘90s grunge/garage band ethic, Keeler’s imprint puts a distinctive drive and verbosity into their music, making the aptly named In Spades one of the group’s most incisive efforts yet.
Still, this wouldn’t be the album it is without the invention and ambition they also manage to instill in their sound. The auditory pulses that initiate the album’s lead-off track “Birdland” create ominous overtones that remain intact throughout. Every track is powered by a pulsating groove allowing them to rumble and ruminate. Leader Greg Dulli’s new crop of songs possess an urgency and intensity that underscore the grave concerns that drive their muse, and in turn, a somewhat murky mindset. Even on slower songs like the pondering, piano driven “Demon in Profile,” a number that’s ostensively positioned as a love song, Dulli’s delivery is dire and dramatic at best.
“And you can believe me now
This isn’t happening
You’re not the first to be stolen
You’re not the last to believe”
It’s decidedly darker stuff, but Afghan Whigs are clearly up to the task of creating an anthemic urgency that makes songs like “Oriole” and “Copernicus” sound bigger than life. These songs surge more than soar, but the result is inevitably the same — all anger, angst and over the top intensity. Eight albums in almost 30 years may not say much about their prolific prowess, but they clearly make the most of every outing, and here it’s clear that In Spades is no exception.
