The Afghan Whigs - Soft Control (2026)
Soft Control is a record I find easier to respect than to get excited about. The Afghan Whigs sound completely comfortable with what they have become, and there is nothing embarrassing about a band ageing into a less volatile version of itself. The problem is simply that removing some of the volatility also removes part of what used to make their songs memorable.
“Jungle Roux” starts well. The groove is heavy enough, Dulli immediately sounds like Dulli, and the mixture of rock and soul still feels natural rather than retro. “House of I” continues in roughly the same space, but already I start noticing how much the vocal is doing. The instrumental framework is effective without being particularly distinctive.
“Duvateen” is much better because the band stops trying to fill every space. The piano changes the emotional character, Dulli sings with less theatrical pressure, and the song feels vulnerable without asking me to admire its vulnerability. Pitchfork is particularly positive about it, and this is one case where I understand the enthusiasm. For me it is the most complete song here.
“My Lover” is efficient but very familiar Afghan Whigs territory. Desire, damage, doomed attraction, a dark groove underneath. The band can still make that combination work, but I have heard much stronger variations on it from them before.
“The Deepest Part of the Darkest Shadow” has more personality. The brass changes the texture and stops the middle of the record becoming one continuous guitar-and-organ atmosphere. It is one of those arrangements where a relatively small production decision makes me pay more attention to the composition itself.
“Mariah Luster” and “Memphis, Texas” are pleasant enough, particularly when the soul side comes forward, but this is also where my attention drops. There is nothing specifically wrong with either song. They simply do not leave much behind. I remember Dulli's delivery and the overall mood more clearly than either melody.
“77” is catchy, and I understand why it has been positioned as one of the more accessible moments. It has a good chorus, but it also feels carefully designed to be a good Afghan Whigs chorus. That difference is difficult to define, but I can hear it. The mechanics are visible.
“Loose Talk” goes further into the anthemic side, which works less well for me. Dulli is more convincing when the music leaves some ambiguity around him. When everything becomes larger and more declarative, the damaged intimacy that makes this band interesting starts disappearing.
“A Simulation” is a better closer because it finally gives the music more time and space. Six minutes allow the arrangement to unfold rather than simply move from verse to chorus and back again. I like the atmosphere and the slower development, although I still do not think the underlying material is strong enough to make it the major statement the runtime suggests.
The decision to keep the album at ten tracks was definitely the right one. At 36:48, it never becomes tiring. But brevity also makes the songwriting hierarchy quite obvious. I have three songs I would actively return to, several that are good while they are playing, and very little that genuinely surprises me.
The Afghan Whigs still sound like themselves, and that matters. This is not anonymous late-career alternative rock. Dulli's voice, the soul influence and the darker arrangements give the album a clear personality. But personality alone does not make every song equally strong.
“Duvateen” is the point where maturity actually becomes emotional depth rather than simply restraint. There are enough good ideas around it to make Soft Control worthwhile, but I hear a polished late-career Afghan Whigs record more than an essential one.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Country: US
Final Verdict: 64% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 373th / 709
Highlight: A Simulation
Made me think of:
The Twilight Singers
The National
Tindersticks
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