2008 Woodie Awards
The Whigs: Band on a rock Mission
Erin Shea
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: Entertainment
03/06/08 - The Whigs is one band that has successfully beaten the sophomore slump.
While the band's last album was clearly pop-based, its latest release, Mission Control, finds the band experimenting with a more refined rock sound that isn't entirely original but is a lot of fun.
It seems to be a fitting time to change in light of the Whigs' lineup, which now features bassist Tim Deaux in place of former bassist, Hank Sullivant.
The guys still maintain their pop sensibilities though, with an album full of amazing hooks. Although some may seem a little strange on first listen. Take the song "1,000 Wives," in which front man Parker Gispert sings, "In the middle of a dream I had/A thousand wives/A thousand hearts."
Gispert's distinct vocals are still at the forefront, but this time around they have a bit more to share the spotlight with.
Drummer Julian Dorio's hyperactive style is the clear driving force behind most of the songs and the bass grooves are much more defined on Mission Control than they were on the band's debut.
The melodic ballads on Mission Control are fine songs in their own right, but what really makes the album so brilliant is the rockers that allow the Whigs' exuberance to take over, like on the standout track, "Hot Bed."
The guitar riffs atop Gispert's forceful vocals and wailing hook combined with Dorio's rapid-fire drumming create an energy that's overwhelmingly infectious.
However, that song's energy is topped by the maelstrom of drums, guitars, and vocals, that is the aggressive rocker, "Need You Need You."
The song sounds like the Whigs' release, a chance for the guys to go crazy and wreak havoc with wild abandon.
A change of pace, the somewhat glossy "Production City," has an unabashed swagger to it. The band exudes a confidence on this track that is reminiscent of Louis XIV - minus the perversion and fake British accents.
Even mellow tracks like "Never Want to Go Home" can't contain themselves. The song starts out simple and mid-tempo, but by the end even it is rocking out (well, for a mid-tempo song anyway), proof that you can't keep a good rock band down.
The youthful appeal and intense enthusiasm that permeates every song on Mission Control leaves the Whigs primed to take over the spotlight in the rock world. If they can keep up the momentum, that is.
While the band's last album was clearly pop-based, its latest release, Mission Control, finds the band experimenting with a more refined rock sound that isn't entirely original but is a lot of fun.
It seems to be a fitting time to change in light of the Whigs' lineup, which now features bassist Tim Deaux in place of former bassist, Hank Sullivant.
The guys still maintain their pop sensibilities though, with an album full of amazing hooks. Although some may seem a little strange on first listen. Take the song "1,000 Wives," in which front man Parker Gispert sings, "In the middle of a dream I had/A thousand wives/A thousand hearts."
Gispert's distinct vocals are still at the forefront, but this time around they have a bit more to share the spotlight with.
Drummer Julian Dorio's hyperactive style is the clear driving force behind most of the songs and the bass grooves are much more defined on Mission Control than they were on the band's debut.
The melodic ballads on Mission Control are fine songs in their own right, but what really makes the album so brilliant is the rockers that allow the Whigs' exuberance to take over, like on the standout track, "Hot Bed."
The guitar riffs atop Gispert's forceful vocals and wailing hook combined with Dorio's rapid-fire drumming create an energy that's overwhelmingly infectious.
However, that song's energy is topped by the maelstrom of drums, guitars, and vocals, that is the aggressive rocker, "Need You Need You."
The song sounds like the Whigs' release, a chance for the guys to go crazy and wreak havoc with wild abandon.
A change of pace, the somewhat glossy "Production City," has an unabashed swagger to it. The band exudes a confidence on this track that is reminiscent of Louis XIV - minus the perversion and fake British accents.
Even mellow tracks like "Never Want to Go Home" can't contain themselves. The song starts out simple and mid-tempo, but by the end even it is rocking out (well, for a mid-tempo song anyway), proof that you can't keep a good rock band down.
The youthful appeal and intense enthusiasm that permeates every song on Mission Control leaves the Whigs primed to take over the spotlight in the rock world. If they can keep up the momentum, that is.