Afghan Whigs - Congregation on CD

Description

As Congregation illustrates, Greg Dulli's Afghan Whigs were always a wild card in the plaid-shirted pack. While their roots lay in the same punk-rock roots that spawned the Seattle sound, frontman Dulli was a smart, literate film-student with a passion for soul and vintage R&B, and it was his very particular vision that lay at the heart of this album. From the striking, symbolic cover artwork--a naked black female, cradling a white child in her arms--to the music within--murky, Motown-inflected punk-rock, motivated by a need for love and a desire for vengeance-this is a fascinating, compelling work with a heart as black as pitch. "I'm gonna turn on you / Before you turn on me," promises Dulli on "Conjure Me", a disturbing, thrashing vignette of a love affair; to his credit, though, throughout, he slyly evades accusations of misogyny by laying his feelings of guilt, fear, and stomach-churning self-loathing at the very centre of the equation. Congregation would be later superseded by Gentlemen, the Whigs' superb major label debut--but for any Dulli fan, this is a crucial addition to the collection. -Louis Pattison

TRACKS

1. Her Against Me - The Afghan Whigs
2. I'm Her Slave - The Afghan Whigs
3. Turn On The Water - The Afghan Whigs
4. Conjure Me - The Afghan Whigs
5. Kiss The Floor - The Afghan Whigs
6. Congregation - The Afghan Whigs
7. This Is My Confession - The Afghan Whigs
8. Dedicate It - The Afghan Whigs
9. The Temple - The Afghan Whigs
10. Let Me Lie To You - The Afghan Whigs
11. Tonight - The Afghan Whigs
12. No Title - The Afghan Whigs