Soulful Grunge from former Afghan Whig – Matt Allen

3 Stars

Greg Dulli’s an intense chap. For 18 years this curious grunge anomaly has acted as a self-loathing figurehead within US indie circles. Former band The Afghan Whigs started the ball rolling by imbuing punk catharsis with soul and classic rock rather than the sugar-sweet thrash of Nirvana. Now, his solo project The Twilight Singers (Powder Burns is their fourth album) burn with a similar spirit. Whirlpool guitars and Dulli’s meandering, sometimes off-kilter vocals, come loaded with heartfelt yearning and catharsis, particularly amid the claustrophobic pull of There’s Been an Accident. Throughout, Dulli’s unswerving ear for a pop hook is apparent – Forty Dollars’ Beatles pastiche; the piano swell of Candy Cane Crawl – which is just as well: the autobiographical lyrics on offer here make for intimate listening.