NEW LP
New sealed copy. Independent record store exclusive limited edition on pink and black smush coloured vinyl.
Soft Control is the tenth studio album by the Afghan Whigs, released in 2026 through Royal Cream and BMG. Arriving four years after How Do You Burn?, the album was recorded across sessions in Joshua Tree, New Orleans, East Hollywood, and Cincinnati. The band recorded 22 songs before narrowing the final sequence to 10, with guest contributions from former drummer Patrick Keeler, vocalist and violist Petra Haden, and My Morning Jacket keyboardist Bo Koster.
Musically, Soft Control continues the band's combination of alternative rock with soul and R&B, balancing forceful guitars and rhythmic grooves with piano, brass, strings, and more restrained arrangements. Songs including "Jungle Roux," "House of I," "Duvateen," and "The Deepest Part of the Darkest Shadow" move between heavier rock passages and the more atmospheric, soulful side of the band's sound.
The album also reflects a more measured perspective in Greg Dulli's songwriting, with themes of aging, relationships, reflection, and the consequences of past experience appearing throughout the record. Released during the Afghan Whigs' fortieth anniversary year, Soft Control extends the musical direction of their post reunion albums while retaining the tension between rock and soul that has remained central to the band.
TRACKLIST:
A1 Jungle Roux
A2 House Of I
A3 Duvateen
A4 My Lover
A5 The Deepest Part Of The Darkest Shadow
B1 Mariah Luster
B2 Memphis, Texas
B3 77
B4 Loose Talk
B5 A Simulation
