Led by songwriter, frontman and producer Greg Dulli, informed in part by guitarist Dave Rosser’s recent diagnosis of inoperable cancer, the band touches on cathartic, in-your-face guitar squall, then flies off into the symphonic (Birdland), heavy organ riffs (The Spell) that hint at a taste for Deep Purple and a keyboard, and a wall of sound that would do The Temptations proud (Toy Automatic).
Elsewhere, a cascading, repeating motif in Into The Floor recalls Don Henley’s The Boys of Summer. Weird, yes, but it all works.
• The Afghan Whigs. In Spades. Sub Pop.
• Four stars (out of five)
Single download: Birdland
For those who like: The Verve meets Husker Du
— Shane Gilchrist
