Customer Rating: 
Summary: This is what Rock and Roll is meant to be
Comment: I picked this up after seeing the Whigs live with the Drive By Truckers, and I haven't looked back since.
They put on an intense live performance, and all of that energy comes through on their album.
These guys have quickly become my favorite new band. Their putting forth simple, yet driven rock and roll, and this album takes it one step further than their debut.
I'm hoping for nothing but the best for The Whigs, because I can't wait to hear what they put out next.
Don't miss these guys if they come through your town.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Not great
Comment: This is very typical, polished radio-friendly rock. I was expecting something more along the lines of Drive By Truckers or Slobberbone based on what I had read about them. I find the execution of the songs boring, and just not my cup of tea.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good, should have been great
Comment: Music: 9/10 Vocals: 3/5 Lyrics: 2/5 Production: 4/5
Total: 18/25: B-
The Whigs is a good band that could be great. First some accolades. Rolling Stone named them the best unsigned band in 2006. Esquire gave them a best drummer award in 2007. And I label them best bar band of 2008. Well, that last one isn't worth much.
The Whigs as a band are fantastic. Biting guitars. Really good drums. And a fantastic bass player. They range from balls-out rock to more moderate fare. And they are recorded fantastically. In fact, this should be used as a reference on how to record bass guitar. The composition is also great. The guitars bite but never go low to interfere with the bass. The drums sit perfectly. The bass has a great low end and yet clear upper end to hear the pluck of the notes. But after that here's where it goes wrong.
The singer isn't all that good. Yeah, he croons and yells. But really, it's the guitar player who happens to sing. Get a real singer and let the guitarist sing backup and you've got one terrific band. Top tier. And perhaps the producer knew it. The vocals are mostly put behind the band and lots of reverb. And the lyrics aren't all that good either.
If you saw these guys in a bar or small venue you'd think they were the best thing ever. But on a CD the flaw of the singer really stand out. He's not terrible. He's just not good enough for this band. And it may hold them back from really taking off.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good stuff
Comment: I saw these fellas perform in Buffalo, and their live show was absolutely solid. The CD is, on the whole, a good listen. It gets off to a rockin' start with "Like a Vibration." Track 2 isn't all that good, but the next four are. By far, the best song on the CD and, in fact, what has to be a candidate for the best rock song of 2008, is "Right Hand on my Heart." This is the kind of song that makes you appreciate great speakers, one that you can't help but rock out to in your car while listening at an ear-blistering decibel level. Yeah, it's that good. "Sleep Sunshine" is a nice follow-up to "Right Hand." It's much slower and melodic, a rather haunting, Radiohead-ish tune. Do yourself a favor and check out "Mission Control." Even better, make sure to see the Whigs if they come to your town.
Customer Rating:
Summary: No Sophomore Slump on this Album
Comment: With "Mission Control," The Whigs have built on the solid foundation established by "Give'em All a Big Fat Lip." This album strikes the perfect medium between exploring new territory and preserving core competence. Thus, they've managed to progress without betraying their genuine sound (which is definitely worth preserving).
It's cool to see an indie band unabashedly get after it - anyone who saw their recent performance on David Letterman knows these guys can rock pretty hard - however, a wise sense of restraint governs their music and prevents it from drifting into a disorganized, overly loud mess. A good blend of order and spontaneity.
If you want to try out a song before you buy the album, I recommend "Right Hand On My Heart." I'd say it's the best one. Plus, you don't need to have already heard the band to enjoy it. I put it on my soccer team's warmup CD and both teams quickly got into a noticeable groove. Anecdotal evidence that this album rocks!
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