The Whigs

Mission Control, the second album by the Whigs — Athens, Georgia's latest purveyors of authentic, blues-tinged garage rock — proves that having the right person behind the mixing console brings out the best in a talented band. Producer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck) captures the tightly wound intensity (and occasional tender Southern hospitality) of these eleven no-frills rock & roll tunes. But Schnapf's deftness at the controls would be a moot point if it weren't for Parker Gispert's vibrant, fresh songwriting, which conjures the spirit of legendary acts like the Clash ("Production City") and the Who ("Already Young"). The last 90 seconds of "Right Hand on My Heart" inspires uncontrollable bouts of steering wheel-banging (and living-room headbanging) and is a raucous representation of the band's growing reputation as a live-concert force.