The Whigs Mission Control by: Steve Scully Mon:24-Mar-08 Label: ATO Year: 2008 WB rating 71 out of 100

Sometimes, isn’t the best antidote some good, solid rock ‘n’ roll?

Sorry, I know rhetorical questions are the lowest form of expression (Kevin Rudd, please take heed), but The Whigs just ooze simplicity. It’s not a terrible thing to err on the side of the straight-forward – to those pretentious Classical Studies students among us, Augustus Caesar’s promotion of ‘simplicitas’ was an integral part of his Golden Age – but it so often leads to little more than ephemeral pleasure for the discerning listeners. This simplicity is equally the most likable and infuriating thing about this band: the songs are straight-forward and accessible, but they’re such undeniably skillful musicians that it seems somewhat of a waste.

There’s a distinctly ‘90s rock feel to a lot of Mission Control. The power-chord and riff-driven rock of ‘Production City’, ‘Right Hand on My Heart’ and ‘I Never Want to Go Home’ is reminiscent of the second half of the decade’s musical output: the latter in particular sounding suspiciously like the Foo Fighters. What lifts them out of the mediocre doldrums of the 1995-1999 references (could you find a worse period in American Rock to reference?) is their execution; the song structure is by numbers at best, but by god they’ve got chops. John Dorio’s drumming is especially notable: he drives every song with amazing versatility (no surprise that he was awarded ‘Best Drummer’ by Esquire Magazine in 2007), and lends energy to tracks that seem so often boring middle-paced alt rock.

‘Sleep Sunshine’ is the album standout by a long, long way. With a country twang, aided by a lovely descending riff and slide guitar, it’s a 6/8 number with a hint of Augie March’s ‘Song in the Key of Chance’ by way of Mr Bungle. Parker Gisbert’s vocals hardly venture out of a lazy saunter, and again Dorio’s drumming is exceedingly impressive. The dynamic changes through the song are where it is most effective: the drop down to only guitar and vocals at the end of the chorus is the most inspired piece of songwriting on Mission Control. Let’s not forget the bass player… (why do we always forget the bass player?) Tim Deaux has to be good to keep up with Dorio, and he does so commendably. Indeed, he comes into his own on the otherwise unremarkable ‘Hot Bed’, where the rhythm section is let loose. Deaux’s bass part, the central aspect of the song, is as melodic as I’ve heard in a long while.

With Mission Control, The Whigs provide a classic case of a lost opportunity. It would be wrong to say this is a poor record, indeed it’s far from average: the songs are basic verse-chorus constructs, and the melodies are far from inspiring, but all this is offset by an ingenious rhythm section, which is awe-inspiring when in full flight.

When the horns burst through final track, ‘Mission Control’, it’s a reminder of the potential this band possesses: with the power of their rhythms and occasionally-audible moments of songwriting nous (see ‘Sleep Sunshine’), there is no doubt this band could do wonderful things in rock music. With retro-80s rock on the decline, it’s time for an inventive retro-90s act to come out of the woodwork, and with their ability to weld country fittings onto grunge-lite rock ‘n’ roll, without being afraid to experiment with wider instrumentation, this band could very well take the next step. Mission Control is unfortunately only a hint at this possibility, and I fear The Whigs’ future is more in the hands of the trend-setters than their own.