The Congress

As guitarist Scott Lane points out, the Congress's 2010 debut EP had a sort of singer-songwriter vibe to it, with arrangements built around acoustic guitar and vocals. Whatever You Want, on the other hand, is a much more rocking effort. From the opening title track, it's clear the trio is taking things up a few notches and delving into heavier territory, even adding a Southern-rock feel to some tunes, like "Keep Virginia" and "Reason," which feels like the Black Crowes' more recent material. Bassist and singer Jonathan Meadows is especially powerful behind the mike, while Lane delivers tasty guitar riffs throughout — and drummer Mark Levy definitely knows his way around a groove.