Rousing album
Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 02/07/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Let me state upfront that I had never heard of the Whigs (not to be confused obviously with the now defunct Afghan Whigs) until I heard one of their songs recently on WOXY, the indie-rock internet-only station ("BAM!! The Future of Rock and Roll!"), and really liked what I heard, so I decided to check them out. The Athens, GA band is fronted by singer-guitarist-song writer Parker Gispert, with Julian Dorio on drums, and supplemented by a number of hired guns for bass and other instruments. This is the band's second album.
"Mission Control" (11 tracks, 37 min.) starts off with a blazing "Like a Vibration", a short take-no-prisoners track that immediately grabs your attention. The sound of the band immistakebly reminds you of the Replacements. The first half of the album is superb, with gems like "Production City" and the best track of the album "Right Hand On My Heart", with a hard charging drum beat evetually joined by crashing electric guitars. The middle of the album brings a few pensive tunes, including a beautiful "1000 Wives". The second half of the album falters a bit, but "I Got Ideas" and the title track, which closes the album, are quite nice.
These guys are a breath of fresh air on the indie-rock scene. "Mission Control" is a rousing album, pure and simple. Looking forward to catch the Whigs in concert at some point. Meanwhile, this album is highly recommended!"
An early contender for best rock album of 2008
Rick Smith | Richmond, VA | 02/05/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"i stumbled on this cd by reading a rave review. I am amazed at the scope of this 37 minute masterpiece. I hear The Who, Green day, Radiohead, Replacements, yet it is all Whigs. By the third listen you are singing along and once again remember the joy of truly great rock music. They will be talked about much more in the coming year and beyond. Grab it now and Whig Out!"