Albums

The Whip - X MarksDestination

Benjamin Thomas 16/04/2008

Rating: 4/5

“Are we nearly there yet? Are we nearly there yet?”, cry the indie kids in the back seat. Because it's been an intrepid journey of lightyears for Danny, Bruce, Nathan and Fiona, or The Whip as they are collectively known. But now, over two years since the single 'Trash' burned down the discos in their Mancunian hometown, they have finally arrived at their destination with this, their debut album. Highlights? Listen to the explosive instrumental 'Divebomb',, as showcased on last year's Kitsuné Maison 4 compilation, the recent releases 'Muzzle #1' and Sister Siam, and of course, the ubiquitous and aforementioned 'Trash'.

Unlike so many electronic artists, on tracks such as the incendiary 'Fire' (“tomorrow is just another day / but you know that in the morning I'll feel better”) and the paranoid after dark anthem 'Blackout' (“five minutes in my head space / I gotta black out the pressure”), they have the power to melt your mind as they move your body, breaking boundaries between the spiritual and the physical. And as for lowlights? Few and far between, but The Whip fail to impress as they play the part of a newer New Order on 'Frustration'. With the blood of Madchester flowing through their veins, we can only hope that they have not inherited the congenital prolific defects of The Stone Roses, or else we'll be wait impatiently for their Second Coming five years from now.