The Whigs – In The Dark

The Whigs have been nothing if not consistent on their two albums to date; turning out amped-up power-rock with their fists in the air like it never fell out of fashion. Their third album does little to change that, although the trio sound just a bit more honed this time around, getting more oomph out of Julian Dorio's drum kit and frontman Parker Gispert's solitary electric guitar than should theoretically be possible.

Straight rock numbers like Kill Me Carolyne are technically adept, yet most of the songs here pass by without notice, making it nigh impossible to single out anything noteworthy. On the bridge of closing track Naked, it’s possible to glimpse the heart of this band in Gispert's snarling vocals, but the song soon reverts to a hackneyed chorus, neatly pinning the album's fatal flaw. Over-produced to the point of creative suffocation, perhaps the desire to rock stadiums is one The Whigs should have resisted. [Martin Skivington]