4.17.20 Having such a distinctive sound that has spanned more than 3 decades as the frontman with The Afghan Whigs and Twilight Singers is no small feat. Check out The Afghan Whigs 2017 release In Spades farther down this list. Dulli’s solo effort here is not a big departure from that Dulli cinematic, emotional, big soundscape signature. That’s a good thing. Soaring-Epic-Moving ‘Lockless’ stood out out for me.

Cole Waterman at PopMatters writes: "Desolation / Come and get it," sings Greg Dulli in the opening lyrics of Random Desire, a devil's come-on only he can sell. The couplet sets the tone for what's to come, a signpost both beckoning you in and warning the faint of heart it's their last chance to turn back. For Random Desire, the debut solo record (of sorts) from the veteran Afghan Whig/Twilight Singer/Gutter Twin, is a soundtrack for pensive late nights alone, raking over regrets, forfeited love, and forsaken chances. Depressing as that may sound, the song cycle isn't one to wallow. On the contrary, it has a reflective victory about it, the kind that comes with years separating you from the painful experiences and the knowledge that while they linger with you, you've survived them. There's a sense of fighting through the haunt of bitter memories of smiling despite the ache.

All the Dulli hallmarks are here — acerbic guitars, beguiling rhythms, soul/R&B-inflected swagger, and austere piano melodies. His voice, always distinctive in its raspy, come-hither coo and lacerated howl, is in top form. It's a bit more frayed by age, but this bolsters his conviction. The persona he's patented across 30-plus years remains authentic, that of a guilt-grappling Casanova dealing in fatalistic romanticism. . .