THE SECRET PLAN – WORD WEAPONS EP

Where do we go from here? It doesn’t really matter because it’s 2026 and anyone can do whatever they want to without reprisal or reprimand. That’s the world we live in, and Houston’s The Secret Plan seems to have considered that for its Word Weapons EP release, calling out government policy with guitar & rhythm explosions through its 8-song delivery. The aggro-punk, psych outfit just dropped its Word Weapons EP, filled with songs that could comfortably fit alongside combustible heavy rock and punk itself. The band barely takes a moment to catch its breath before rolling from one song into the other with vocalist Elena Karaytcheva howling maniacally. On the opener “Apple Bit Me,” she seems to take the lead role, giving a middle finger to the patriarchy, and when she says, “Suck my dick,” you know she means it. Throughout the 8-song release, there’s fear, anger, hope, sadness, all combined to explode, which is what the band does. “Moderndaze” rallies around a hardcore punk ethos as Karaytcheva tries to get out of her own head but can’t seem to escape who she’s been forced to become. It’s heavy on both the musical and lyrical fronts. 8 songs just isn’t enough of The Secret Plan.  

BLACK MARBLE – LIFE IN SMALL SPACES

It’s been a 5-year stretch since Black Marble’s last Fast Idol, but Chris Stewart, the electronic force behind the project, returns with the new Life In Small Spaces (Sacred Bones Records). Every year it seems scribes attempt to pigeonhole a style of music into a neat and tightly wound little box, and placing Stewart in there isn’t much difference, as he’s once referred to as a “coldwave throwback,” synthwave, and just about every other “wave.”

What we have here thought, as with his previous releases with Black Marble, capitalizing on pop music as it was done when “new wave” was the prevalent subgenre. But it’s all pop music after all, delivered electronically. Black Marble? Well, seems it’s being rewritten, reworked, and remastered because Stewart is quite the skillful expert here. While he utilizes guitars and bass grooves, the rhythms – much like on “Anything” seem to be mechanically propelled, but it’s far from being a distraction, and it powerfully enhances Stewart’s vocal melody & harmonies, as they drift and caress the guitar & bass lines. “It Always Comes to Me” is intentional in its delivery as pure sugary pop; there’s no doubt about that, with guitars taking center stage as keyboards glide across the background. All of the instrumentation blends seamlessly, with Stewart’s baritone coating it all together.

While you might think “Guess” is going to move into a different direction, nope, Black Marble only gives the illusion this is a slower song. There’s no ballad here, unless it’s going to move with a quick mechanical step, euphoric keyboard notes & washes, with spacy harmonies wandering in the distance. It’s so easy to fall in love with his soundscape and warm vocals here, as it is on the closing “Sonny Boy,” which takes a much more controlled approach where Stewart offers a small piece of everything with guitars, bass and keys smothering the composition as his voice spills across the track, but it’s never a necessity all the time, instead, allowing the music the opportunity to direct him and take on a life of its own.

Through Life In Small Spaces, Stewart has taken the time and care to hone things together tightly for Black Marble. No one will ever be able to put him in a box anymore; instead, just recognize him for the pop artist that he is!

AFGHAN WHIGS – SOFT CONTROL

Throughout the band’s career, which I’ve lost touch with since its earlier days, it has released more than a handful of full-length albums, a few EPs, and a couple of compilation releases. Now, almost 40 years into its career, the Afghan Whigs return with its 10^th album, Soft Control, and seems to continue the path it has walked since the band’s formation, back in its Midwest Ohio.  

It was probably after Gentlemen that musical taste buds began to shift, and while I would catch the occasional band gig and single, I wasn’t as intrigued as I once was with the Congregation album. Chances is what we do, what we give, and yes, there is the – gasp! – maturity and growth of the band with the new album. There has been a shift in the group’s membership since the band’s formation, but it’s one issue that doesn’t distract from the band itself. Throughout the album, I find the Afghan Whigs remaining true to their guitar roots while also exploring the resources available to it, embellishing on its sound for a natural progression in their evolution. Grabbing hold of “House Of I,” the guitar explosiveness is fully effective in capturing the elements of the group’s past, along with the sturdy drums building around its floor toms, which brings a nostalgic energy. But it’s Dulli’s voice that’s captivating here. It’s that shouted delivery, coupled with the occasional melody and backing harmonies, giving it just the right amount of Whigs-ism. And then there’s the piano-driven “Duvateen,” where Dulli changes up his vocal delivery a bit, and it fits comfortably alongside the ambiance of the droning guitar. There are washes of keyboards as well, and all I can keep thinking is, “How much have I missed out on?” as the band crescendos slightly as the rhythm section holds everything together, turning it into a monster of a song, without demanding much of the listener.

How things change, because “Loose Talk” is another song that builds quickly around an unassuming melody while utilizing synths & keyboards to underlay the song, allowing guitars, a heavier rhythm to take control but quiets back down, allowing those same electronics to step up, along with a piano as it begins to plink away on notes and chords. Dulli is able to shift from a higher whisper to maniacally shout out that chorus perfectly. There’s a dynamic play at hand here, but it’s never so drastic that you wouldn’t hear it coming. Drums control the pace as guitars ring out in the distance and the piano gets louder. This is the perfect storm of a song. One thing about the Afghan Whigs though, is that it’s able to move from what you might think is balladesque to loudly thundering across its song structure without changing is pace, like on “Memphis, Texas.” The band does have power, I’ll give ‘em that, but they also wrap it all up with distinctive melodies. While groups may cite the band as highly influential, there is absolutely no replicating it. Who else would think of including strings here the way it does?

There’s no hard sell when the Afghan Whigs are concerned. Soft Control is a fantastic journey through a musical style all its own, creatively blending instruments enough to make me realize I’ve missed so much that it’s time to take a deeper dive into the group’s back catalog I’ve missed out on. The Afghan Whigs are back! Although they never truly left.