Twilight Singers

Five years ago ’90s cult favourites the Afghan Whigs dissolved in a mess of addictions and the frustrations of flirting with but never really gaining commercial attention. Ringleader Greg Dulli though appears quite comfortable in his second coming with the Twilight Singers, continuing to tell stories of the drugs, women and reckless behaviour that still plague him. Recorded partly in New Orleans after the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina, the cinematic pop noir and dark sensuality of the music, especially on the instrumental "Turn the Waves” and "The Conversation,” conjure up ghostly images of not only a city under siege but also Dulli’s personal demise and struggles in overcoming life’s guilty pleasures. Good examples of this are the title track, an ode to Bolivia’s national product, and "Candy Cane Crawl,” where he sings about "that feeling you get when you’re stealing that all too revealing side of you,” while warning: "that shit will twist your mind if you let it.” Dulli still turns the guitars up on panty removers like "I’m Ready,” and Ani DiFranco shows up on a couple songs to provide some of the album’s strongest moments — a trait that often happens when Dulli invites women into his macho world. There is nothing here we haven’t already heard before, but Dulli’s voice still has a wonderful purr for people who just can’t get enough.