The Whip – Trash

The Whip – Trash (Southern Fried Records)
March 17th, 2008
3.8/6.0

We are living in worrying times. Without straying too far into the tabloid domain of scaring-people-shitless for no reason; there is a new (and very real) danger threatening us all: the… ahem… rave.

Don’t fear though, the Local Government Association (LGA) has helpfully identified a number of bands in this axis of evil including Hot Chip and The Klaxons. Fortunately a crackdown on the throwing of ‘shapes’ is already underway. I feel duty bound then, to warn you away from Manchester four piece The Whip’s latest release, the (despicably) entitled Trash.

As soon as Trash kicks of with the pulsating drum beat punctured with an intermittent dirty-electro drone, I know that there is something very wrong: Namely the fact that I’m sat at home surrounded by things like a biro, a shatter-resistant ruler and a leccy bill final reminder. This is not this song’s natural domain. The impressive build of layered beats and electro bleeps evoke Manchester’s darkest, sweatiest clubs full of throngs of people up for a filthy night out.

Over all this lead singer Bruce Carter growls "#I wanna be traash #" as if he’s just paid 50 quid for the hour; and it’s painfully obvious why this remains pretty much meaningless to anyone from the LGA. For everyone else though, it looks like the rave returns this summer. As if it ever went away...

words: Will Bugler

The Whip present their long-awaited debut album X Marks Destination on March 24th, 2008. They'll also be bringing the rave back before the summer solstice at the Warehouse Project on Friday, March 21st, underneath Manchester Piccadilly train station.

www.myspace.com/thewhipmanchester