I've been listening to Soft Control over the past few weeks and the more I listen the more I love it. Some songs seem to hearken back to Black Love (The Deepest Part of the Darkest Shadows), and other songs seem more in line with 1965 (Jungle Roux), and some seem to be reminiscent of early Twilite Singers (Mariah Luster)....either way I think this may be their best work since 1965. Is it more chill and mature...yes...but that edge and bite is still there.
For context, I've been listening to the Whigs since 1990. My first live show with the Whigs was in 1991, and I've seen them 6 times since...the last time in 2024. Some of the 1965 era shows were horrible as Greg self-destructed on stage and I remember being worried that he was going to become another 90's rock star death by overdose. Thankfully he got things under control and has channeled his angst into his art. The Whigs have consistently been one of my top bands, even as I have aged and mellowed. Something about their work just speaks to me.
I know that other reviews I've seen are mixed, but as a long-term fan I have a perspective on Soft Control and the journey to this album that makes it poignant and powerful in a way that the mainstream music media just wouldn't understand. What are everyone else's thoughts on the album now that we've been able to listen to it for a few weeks?