Zack: What do you expect from an album by a band
named Afghan Whigs, especially when the picture of the child on the front
doesn’t even look interested? Definitely not this. Gentlemen is an amazing
album, a prime example of the best parts about earlier alternative music and
yet it sounds like it easily could have come out in 2013. In some parts, like
Gentlemen or Debonair, the album is fast-paced and hard-rocking. But Afghan
Whigs aren’t afraid to add the gentle in other places to make up for all that
manly ferocity elsewhere, occasionally slowing things down a bit and making
things a bit more somber, as in When We Two Parted or My Curse. The album even
ends with a masterful instrumental track called Brother Woodrow – Closing
Prayer that just is the perfect way to wrap up an eclectic but incredibly
consistent album. For an album that I didn’t have high expectations for, Afghan
Whigs did the gentlemanly thing and blew me away.
Favorite Tracks: Gentlemen; My Curse; Debonair
Emily: I really only picked this album because I liked the name of the band. It conjures up images of Taliban honchos wearing gentlemanly powdered wigs (just me?), but gives absolutely no indication of what the music will actually sound like. It's early-'90s alternative, which very well could be grunge, post-punk, hard rock, or any combination thereof, plus a bunch of other influences thrown in. And Gentlemen sort of has that eclectic mix, as much alternative music does, but it also sounds super modern more than 20 years after it was released. The result is both unexpected and unexpectedly great - you really just have to listen to it and discover for yourself.
Favorite Tracks: Gentlemen; Debonair; When We Two Parted
No comments:
Post a Comment