ATO

Most Whigs fans have said of the band: “You really need to see them live.” Because, though the Athens, Ga. trio has put out two very solid rock albums, the live band is a living, breathing creature that never fails to impress. Devotees will be more than pleased with the band’s game-changing third album. In the Dark captures the band’s intense, engaging live sound. It also shows a marked confidence: though the sound is unapologetic garage rock, there’s enough melody to buff down some of the grit. Each of the 11 tracks has a tightly-wound bass and percussive foundation with lead singer Parker Gispert’s gruff, exclamatory verses urging the songs forward. The band barrels through the first half of the album with barely a pause before the psychedelic “Dying” moves the album toward slightly more playful territory. Tracks like “Someone’s Daughter” and “Hundred/Million” are standouts.