THE AFGHAN WHIGS
How Do You Burn? (Royal Cream/BMG)
When the pandemic scuppered Greg Dulli’s planned gigs to promote his solo album, Dulli remotely started work on what became the ninth Afghan Whigs LP. There is a feeling of sadness attached to How Do You Burn?: the late Mark Lanegan named it, also contributing backing vocals to Jyia and Take Me There.
Meanwhile, the names Marcy Mays and Susan Marshall should ring bells for longtime Whigs fans; both return to add some vocal assistance as the band plough full steam ahead with their intoxicatingly dark, soulful outsider rock.
With How Do You Burn? there is an overall widescreen wow factor to the intricate multi-layered sound: you can imagine The Getaway given the thumbs-up by Beatles producer and arranger George Martin. In the Afghan Whigs canon, this return is, ultimately, as immediately pleasing as Gentlemen or Black Love remain: undoubtedly, the fire still burns for Dulli and co.
words DAVID NOBAKHT
