The Whigs, 'Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip' (ATO)

Scrappy contenders catch a buzz in limited doses.

This Athens, Georgia band is probably amazing in small clubs, where the energy that sparks its debut album can be stoked to a blaze. Fat Lip comes on as solid and preternaturally tuneful without too closely aping its influences -- the Kinks, the Replacements, and Guided by Voices. But it thrives more on pluck than unforgettable songs, and sometimes that's enough: "Violet Furs" and "Don't Talk Anymore" have a crackling charm. Still, the Whigs mostly feel like runners-up you can root for, rather than would-be champs. 

Now Hear This:
The Whigs - "Technology" DOWNLOAD MP3
The Whigs - "Violet Furs" WINDOWS MEDIA | QUICKTIME

On SPIN.com:
Artist of the Day: The Whigs

>> Listen to the Whigs on Napster

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