Originally written by Chris Hilliard · 9 June 2003
Whirlwind Heat
Orange / Auto Modown
Label: XL Recordings Release Date: 09/06/2003
Whirlwind Heat were championed by a Rolling Stone magazine as one of the festival highlights of this year’s SXSW festival. I can only assume that was by the publication’s deaf correspondent. The trio are close personal showbiz friends of both The White Stripes and Brendan Benson and herein lies a rampant problem in the record industry. The ability to write great tunes isn’t infectious and the signing of bands that sound a tiny bit like The White Stripes or may have just met them in a petrol station once has met its nadir.
Leading cut ‘Orange’ is an uncomfortable mess with a strangely insipid jazz bass line, while somebody seems to be playing an instrument akin to the sound of a mouse being stamped on with hobnail boots, and the singer rants in some Devo-like fashion about ‘how it is a good day to die’. Let's not stand in his way.
• 2 Chris Hilliard's Score