The Whip - 'X Marks Destination' (Southern Fried) Released 24/03/08

As the Manchester dance scene comes to a reluctant halt, it’s about time a band like The Whip got off their asses and produced a debut album that is so old-skool dance-orientated and so NOT “indie-rave”. Of course, there used to be Sub-Sub, now formerly known as the elegant Doves, but even they were below average until they re-dressed themselves as an alternative rock masterpiece and in truth, nothing has lifted itself to heady heights out of the wrath of seemingly, this curse that’s been holding back so many acts from the Northern area and essentially, the UK. Bar SMD, we’ve been having to look past our shores for a good dance.

So in reality, ‘X Marks Destination’ isn’t just some shot in the dark at achieving recognition, it’s a new hope and despite the fact that it just about misses the target, it’ll become the foundation of a new driving force for acts that are tagged lazily by the music press as a rave act, to instead deliver the unexpected with an album stuffed full of repetition, hypnotic beats and smooth vocals. Every song on this record is a pop song that would never do well in pop, as well as being an electro song that would triumph in the clubs. ‘Frustration’ and ‘Sirens’ could easily find themselves as Friday-night anthems all over the place. Played full volume on your hi-fi system and you’re in a heavenly trance, feet all over the place in synchronized rhythm to the dreamy sounds you’re being subjected to.

The overwhelming weakness in this record however is that you grow tired of it. 10 tracks all spanning between the 4-6 minute mark with a repetitive verse-to-chorus structure – there’s something not quite enjoyable about it all despite the fact that this formation can work for so many other acts. Of course, when a track can have a chorus as moving as that on ‘Sirens’ then it all fits together nicely, but some of the songs will have less of an impact on all ('Blackout' and 'Muzzle #1' being placed next to each-other in the record was a bad move), so it’s easy to switch off, lose yourself in the wrong way, especially at the start of the record.

Naturally though, when an album features a track as anthemic as the juggernaut ‘Divebomb’, this opinion could be easily swayed, you’re likely to be woken up rudely. Justice-esque in production (unashamed, rough-around-the-edges), 50 seconds in this breathtaking electro-tinged vocal enters, throwing you back completely. It’s clearly what the album’s built around. Where the first half of the record is radio-friendly and warm, the latter half takes your breath away every now and again. After ‘Divebomb’ we see an attempt at re-creating LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Someone Great’ in the form of ‘Sister Slam’. It’s probably unintentional, but it sounds pretty blatant. Nonetheless, it’s another one that’ll keep your attention instead of losing it. This is where the record shines like no-one thought it would. Closer ‘Throw It In The Fire’ is esqually as memorable. Of course you’ll have heard stuff like this before, but that won’t stop you from lapping it up.

‘X Marks Destination’ is something for The Whip to build up from, which unless they’re senseless, they’ll use to their advantage. It’s at heart, a record that gives show to the potential-singles and the potential-anthems that open your eyes to everything. The quieter moments go slightly unnoticed, but there is enough extravagance and imagination in some of these songs that they’ll win you over as a fan of the whole record.