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Rock music, in almost all of its current forms, has forgotten where it comes from, lost its sense of identity, and lost a lot of what made it unique and exciting in the first place. Ever since Rock, rather than rock ‘n’ roll, became the dominant force, we have somehow transitioned from music that is seductive and edgy, that grooves and grinds, swings and is full of swagger, into something made, by and large, by serious young white men in big shorts who think that velocity and volume, notes-per-minute and complicated hairstyles are the answer.
They are not. I know it. You know it. I suspect even they know it. wht.rbbt.obj certainly knows it. (Man, their name plays havoc with my spell checker. See, even that is a rock ‘n’ roll move.) And, if you were looking for worthy causes to get behind, you could see their latest album, Whiskey Hotel Tango as a fightback. Not a return to the past, although there is a very cool, nostalgic vibe running through their music, but instead to a vision of where we would be if the Rock Leviathan hadn’t taken over and such music still remembered, and indeed incorporated, its blues and soul roots, built a united front.
Okay, enough of the history lesson…to horse!
Across five slinky and scintillating tracks wht.rbbt.obj build bridges to the past, invite long-overlooked sonic neighbors to the party, and lay the foundations for a bright new rock future. Or at least one possible, and preferable, vision of it.
Right from the off, the infectious, distorted groove of “Love On Hold” tells us everything we need to know. It is a song built of hooks and space, blues vocals and soul harmonies, abrasive guitars, and unfussy back beats that know how to serve the song. There it is, laid out before you, a rock ‘n’ roll mission statement, sonic manifesto and plan of attack all rolled into one.
And attack it does, not through punch and power but through sass and sensuality. “No Rainbows in Indiana” drips with attitude, a neat blend of understatement and excess, but just the right amount of excess, the soloing, in particular, reminding us that a great guitarist can make a few basic progressions go a long, long way.
“Give In To Me” is blues and rock dancing deftly together, “Queen’s Gambit” is rock ‘n’ soul’ for the modern age, and “Keep You Like A Secret (Tidal Wave) shows that they can break out soulful seduction as easily as they can lay out salvos of heads-down-no-nonsense-mindless-rock ‘n’ blues.
Yes, modern rock music may have lost its way, but Whiskey Hotel Tango is the map that could help put things back on course. Assuming, of course, that modern musicians in that realm even know how to read such an elegant and eloquent sonic map. Fingers crossed, eh?
