{"id":27018,"date":"2017-04-26T11:52:55","date_gmt":"2017-04-26T10:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=27018"},"modified":"2017-04-27T21:52:03","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T20:52:03","slug":"demon-days-afghan-whigs-explore-the-dark-side-on-devilishly-captivating-new-album-in-spades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2017\/04\/demon-days-afghan-whigs-explore-the-dark-side-on-devilishly-captivating-new-album-in-spades\/","title":{"rendered":"DEMON DAYS – Afghan Whigs Explore The Dark Side On Devilishly Captivating New Album In Spades"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sub Pop veterans the Afghan Whigs have been ploughing their own peculiar furrow through American rock for more than 30 years now.<\/h4>\n

In Spades<\/strong><\/em> is their second album of new material since returning to recording in 2014 with\u00a0To The Beast<\/strong><\/em>.<\/h4>\n

It’s clear the break has done them good, original frontman\u00a0Greg Dulli<\/strong> and bassist\u00a0John<\/strong> Curley <\/strong>finding accomplished creative foils in\u00a0guitarists Dave Rosser<\/strong> and Jon Skibic<\/strong>, Raconteurs’<\/strong>\u00a0drummer Patrick Keeler <\/strong>and\u00a0multi-instrumentalist Rick Nelson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Described by Dulli as the first full-blown band album since 1996’s Black Love<\/strong><\/em>,\u00a0\u00a0In Spades <\/em>shows they’ve lost none of their ambition.<\/p>\n

It’s a rich, multi-textured collection, enhanced by lush string and brass arrangements\u00a0throughout.<\/p>\n

Dulli’s familiar lyrical preoccupation with the power struggles within relationships are to the fore again, blended\u00a0with a sinister, spectral, even supernatural edge.<\/p>\n

Lead single\u00a0Demon In Profile<\/strong><\/em>, (see video starring\u00a0Har Mar<\/strong> Superstar<\/strong> below) is\u00a0a case in point.<\/p>\n

With descending bass and piano chords, reminiscent of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds<\/strong><\/em>, it’s dark\u00a0rhythms flesh out the menacing, lascivious\u00a0longing\u00a0of the lyrics.<\/p>\n

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Afghan Whigs 2017 vintage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Themes of love and loss, possession, entrapment and flight permeate the album, as hints of the diabolical haunt in shadow and silhouette.<\/p>\n

In Spades\u00a0<\/em>sees the Whigs coming closer, perhaps than ever before, to realising\u00a0their vision of marrying the art-punk of bands like\u00a0Husker Du<\/strong><\/em>, with the soulful r’n’b of the\u00a0Motown Stax <\/em><\/strong>label\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>and the hard-rock of\u00a0Led\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Zeppelin<\/i><\/b><\/i>.<\/p>\n

There’s some dazzling intricate guitar work on songs like\u00a0Arabian Heights<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>and\u00a0Into the<\/strong><\/em> Floor<\/strong>, proto-metal on\u00a0Copernicus<\/strong><\/em>, dark electronica on\u00a0The Spell <\/strong><\/em>and punk-funk on\u00a0Light as a Feather<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Dulli’s voice is equally adaptable, ranging from rasping, ghostly falsetto, to anguished howl, to deep malevolent\u00a0roar.<\/p>\n

Never straightforward his lyrics are packed full of elusive and unusual metaphors, tracks like Oriole<\/strong><\/em> and I Get Lost,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>showing his talent for mood and characterisation.<\/p>\n

In less capable hands such a mashing of genres could have been a jarring mess, but this is a captivating, coherent record.<\/p>\n

Elusive, seductive and luxurious,\u00a0In Spades<\/em> is a solid contender for record of the year.<\/p>\n