Gentlemen - Afghan Whigs (1993)

This is one of those albums I listened to a lot when it was new, but I don’t go back to often. I have no idea why, because it’s an alt-rock monster.

The thing that makes me love this one so much is the dissonance. Not really musical dissonance, although there’s plenty of guitar squall. But the sophisticated, well-executed grooves the band lays down are so different than the just plain nasty lyrics. Almost every song is some sort of dengeneracy, usually sexual but sometimes violent or self-hating as well. In most cases there’s a complex mix of all three. This album would keep a psychologist occupied for years.

Singer Greg Dulli (tbf he’s also the songwriter and the producer. not just a pretty face) has an amazing voice that perfectly channels all this awfulness into something strong and handsome even if it’s ugly and rotten underneath.

Tracks I Liked

Gentlemen - One of my all time favorite songs

Be Sweet - there’s that self-hatred I was talking about

Debonair - anger and rage

What Jail Is Like - something more defeatist and dark