Album Review: The Whiffs – Another Whiff

There’s a deceptively languorous feel to this debut album from Kansas City’s The Whiffs that belies the energy and industry going on underneath that seemingly plain exterior. Like the proverbial swan, it glides along real smooth, but the legs are going like fury down below. The accompanying PR mentions Tom Petty, and that’s not a bad starting point to describe this kind of beautifully crafted Americana. The Whiff‘s sound hints at breezy, timeless American pop that ranges from The Monkees through Petty to REM and beyond to the whole raft of post-1990s guitar pop bands. But comparisons are never fair and can raise unreasonable expectations in listeners.

The Whiffs rise above comparison by demonstrating, again and again on this outing, that they have a massive self-belief in their abilities. The often lo-fi vibe cannot conceal that this is a unit with a superlative grasp of the basics of making great – and probably timeless – pop music.  Don’t let the throwaway melodies and jingle-jangle fool you. This is album is sublimely well-made and considered. Confidence in the quality of the songs is demonstrated by the fact that not one of them runs over three minutes. Some of them don’t even make two minutes. That’s how strong the song ideas and execution are. In fact, in packing so much musical invention and harmony into such small packages, The Whiffs have a Beatle-esque quality. That’s not an adjective you dare use lightly.

It’s in the slightly more upbeat songs such as the opening pair of Shakin All Over and What Do You Want Me To Do? that showcase the band’s mastery of the format. Standout track for me is the jaunty On The Boulevard, which ticks all of the pop boxes while retaining freshness and sparkle. No fillers – this is a solid and consistently good album that was, evidently, a long time cooking and, frankly, all the better for it.

Another Whiff is out on Dig! Records.