Since then, I've noticed that several other writers have shared my initial response. In a tidy bit of irony, it's far more accessible than Boss Hog , the group's 1995 Geffen debut. But although it's clearly the poppiest thing that Martinez and husband Jon Spencer have ever created, Whiteout is not a compromise. Most fans want to believe that their favorite punk rock band is good enough to produce a great pop album when the mood strikes them.
Whiteout is that album.
Whiteout 's secret weapon is keyboard player Mark Boyce, whose heavy and soulful tones add a body to Boss Hog's sometimes brittle tunes. Cristina, meanwhile, revels in the rich production and takes an opportunity to ease off the shouting, opting for a huskier, more seductive approach that's full of Siouxsie Sioux-ish mystery. The thing is, as much as I enjoyed the Whiteout sound, I don't want to hear another two or three Boss Hog albums that sound just like it. Too much effort in this vein will leave them sounding like a Gothamized Mojo Nixon or Horton Heat. That's not a good thing.