{"product_id":"afghan_whigs-soft_control","title":"Soft Control","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Afghan Whigs’ Soft Control was released August 21, 2026, through Royal Cream, marking the band’s tenth studio album and fourth since reuniting. Produced by Greg Dulli, its ten tracks combine the group’s muscular alternative rock and soul influences with piano, horns, strings, and atmospheric keyboards. Dulli and founding bassist John Curley preserve the tension between grinding guitars and supple rhythms, while guests including Petra Haden and My Morning Jacket’s Bo Koster broaden the arrangements. Aging and mortality shape the songwriting, but resignation is not the prevailing mood: Dulli considers how to acknowledge the past without becoming trapped by it, allowing tenderness and acceptance to coexist with the band’s familiar sensuality and menace. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Jungle Roux” opens with a gospel-inflected groove before “House of I” sharpens the attack through pounding drums and abrasive guitars. The piano-led “Duvateen” turns from childhood memories toward thoughts of death, making it the clearest expression of the album’s reflective perspective. “My Lover” introduces a sultry, surf-rock swagger, while “The Deepest Part of the Darkest Shadow” and “Mariah Luster” stretch the band’s intensity into more spacious, slow-burning arrangements. “Memphis, Texas” pairs harmonica and swelling strings with an unusually open-hearted performance, and “Loose Talk” reaches for an expansive chorus before the brooding closer “A Simulation.” The strongest moments arise when the band moves beyond its established attack, finding emotional force in graceful arrangements rather than relying solely on volume and confrontation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Record Store","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl \/ Album","offer_id":67925174026554,"sku":"41370","price":37.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Vinyl \/ Album - Indie Excl. Pink\/Black Smush With Splatter Vinyl","offer_id":68000591282490,"sku":"41369","price":42.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD \/ Album","offer_id":68000591315258,"sku":"41368","price":17.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/2041\/0682\/files\/Screenshot_2026-11-14_at_8.10.40_PM.jpg?v=1794733252","url":"https:\/\/recordstore.ca\/products\/afghan_whigs-soft_control","provider":"Record Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}