This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
When it comes to making a record, Whirlwind Heat know jack — Jack White. And that’s more than enough to get the job done.
The White Stripes’ singer-guitarist not only produced the Michigan Moog-rock trio’s debut album Do Rabbits Wonder?, he also released it on his Third Man imprint. But anyone going in looking for the blooz-rock fuzz of Elephant will leave disappointed. Whirlwind Heat (who lifted their name from Sonic Youth’s Goo) prefer to take their cues from the jittery, synth-crazed post-punk of the late, great Brainiac. Compensating for the lack of six-string licks with plenty of buzzy, revved-up basslines, the threesome stack otulandish synth bursts and out-patient vocals atop spasmodic grooves to create anxious, off-kilter tunes that progress and evolve in fits and starts. And just to confuse you a little more, these 13 cuts are all named after colours — Orange, Black, Purple, Tan, etc. — that have little relation if any to their lyrical or musical content. But despite all this deliberate weirdness, there’s no denying these guys kick more butt than a three-legged biker. Maybe they know more than I think.
