Four albums and 15 years after improbably getting back together, The Afghan Whigs have finally found a winning late-era formula on ‘Soft Control’. Like alchemists transmuting matter, their 10th album blends the abrasive alt-rock of ‘Congregation’ and ‘Gentlemen’, the cinematic soulfulness of ‘Black Love’, and the slow-building tension they’ve settled on in recent years, resulting in their most complete reunion-era record.
The music, much like its title, suggests bandleader Greg Dulli realises control doesn’t mean suppressing your instincts — it means knowing precisely when to follow them. Opener Jungle Roux’s seedy swagger sees Dulli and co. strolling through bluesy, snaking guitar riffs, muscular drum patterns, and playfully soulful choruses, whereas follow up House Of I struts through sleazy grooves and tie-dyed distortion.
Dulli understands that control also means knowing when to pull back. In contrast to the ‘90s-leaning alt-rock of House Of I and Loose Talk, Duvateen’s bright piano, soulful textures and patient pacing gradually bloom into ringing guitars, allowing reflection rather than aggression to provide the song’s weight.
Memphis, Texas pulls a similar trick, its loose Americana sway and flashes of harmonica replacing brute force with atmosphere, giving the record room to breathe while keeping something darker simmering underneath.
At times, though, The Afghan Whigs pump the brakes a tad too hard. The Deepest Part of the Darkest Shadow lets its nocturnal horns and piano drift towards inertia when a little more menace might have given it bite, while six-minute closer A Simulation stretches its ambient piano, Mellotron and strings towards transcendence without ever quite getting there. It’s a strangely muted final word on on an album this assured, but ‘Soft Control’ ultimately proves that knowing when not to strike can be just as powerful as landing the blow.
The Afghan Whigs Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sat September 19 2026 - LEEDS Leeds University Stylus
Sun September 20 2026 - NOTTINGHAM Palais
Tue September 22 2026 - GLASGOW SWG3 Galvanizers Yard
Wed September 23 2026 - MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
Thu September 24 2026 - LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
Sat September 26 2026 - BRIGHTON Chalk
Sun September 27 2026 - PARIS Trabendo (France)
Mon September 28 2026 - AMSTERDAM Paradiso (Netherlands)
Wed September 30 2026 - COLOGNE LUXOR (Germany)
Thu October 01 2026 - LIEGE OM (Belgium)
Sat October 03 2026 - EINDHOVEN TBC (Netherlands)
Sun October 04 2026 - ANTWERP De Roma (Belgium)
Mon October 05 2026 - BRUSSELS Ancienne Belgique (Belgium)
Wed November 04 2026 - ORLANDO Florida - Beacham Theater (USA)
Thu November 05 2026 - ATLANTA Georgia - Variety Playhouse (USA)
Sat November 07 2026 - CARRBORO North Carolina - Cats Cradle (USA)
Sun November 08 2026 - BALTIMORE Maryland - Soundstage (USA)
Tue November 10 2026 - NEW YORK New York - Warsaw (USA)
Wed November 11 2026 - TORONTO Ontario - Concert Hall (Canada)
Fri November 13 2026 - INDIANAPOLIS Indiana - Vogue (USA)
Sat November 14 2026 - CHICAGO Illinois - Metro (USA)
Sun November 15 2026 - ST LOUIS Missouri - Delmar Hall (USA)
Thu November 19 2026 - NEW ORLEANS Louisiana - House of Blues (USA)
Fri November 20 2026 - DALLAS Texas - Granada Theater (USA)
Sat November 21 2026 - AUSTIN Texas - Scoot Inn (USA)
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