The Afghan Whigs Soft Control LP

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The Afghan Whigs new album, Soft Control is testament to the old David Bowie quote, where he describes aging as "an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been." By now, the volatile years of band leader Greg Dulli's youth have been substituted with a wry and self-aware satori. The edge and sensitive temperament remain but the unchecked infernos of ego and rage no longer threaten personal immolation. And Dulli's vocals are simultaneously the strongest and most delicate that they've ever been.

"I've worked hard on my inner peace," Dulli commented. "I was an angry young man, and it fueled my art, ambition and my drive. I wouldn't change anything because I can't. But as I got into photography and other art forms, I realized that I'm not in competition with anyone — including myself. Now, I know what I'm doing and there's a quiet confidence that comes with being able to back it up."

Soft Control was recorded at Fireside Sound in Joshua Tree, Marigny Studios in New Orleans, Gold Diggers Sound in East Hollywood, and Sycamore in Cincinnati. The band recorded 22 songs for the record, discarding several favorites because they didn't seamlessly fit the taut 37-minute track listing. Additional cameos on the album come from former Afghan Whigs drummer Patrick Keeler, vocalist/violist Petra Haden, Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket), and many others.

The album captures The Afghan Whigs' unique ability to conflagrate stab-you-in-your-nose bone guitars and cubist refractions of soul and R&B. You expect bangers from The Afghan Whigs, and there are bangers. Yet there is a reconciliation of loud volume and somber reflections, living life with joy and purpose while keeping one eye on the clock and remaining aware of the absurdity. The Afghan Whigs' tenth album is a sterling addition to a singular body of work — a double-sided invitation to embrace the light and welcome the darkness.