Warpaint's Latest Offering

2013 was the year the all-woman four-piece Haim captured the whole of Britain’s attention (yes, even David Cameron acknowledged his utmost reverence for the band via Twitter), but 2014 is the year of Warpaint.

Fortunately for Warpaint’s fans, the band are in no way assimilated with David Cameron, or any other obsolete politician trying to stay in touch with the music world (and even perhaps the real world), in order to appeal to the younger electorate. In fact, with their debut only selling 30,000 copies, there is little to account for the talent the quartet from L.A have. However, with festival season on the horizon, and the release of their self-titled album at the beginning of this week, music critics will turn their attention to one of the most promising bands in the music industry today.#

I was lucky enough to see Warpaint at Brixton Academy last October, and was privileged to hear some of their new unreleased material. It was unquestionably one of the most endearingly bizarre gigs I have ever attended. It was only a few days after Lou Reed had passed away, and there was a cloud of aberrant pessimism shrouding the crowd of music lovers’ heads, as the DJ decided to put on Lou Reed’s discography to ‘warm up’ the crowd, which ironically served as a complete paradox to its intentions. It was an intense atmosphere, which would be hard for Warpaint to break, but with their innovative, refreshing dose of alternative soft-grunge rock, they restored the crowd’s faith in the music industry’s capability to produce something immensely great. Their self-titled album only reinforces this.

The album begins with the drifting and beguiling ‘Intro’, which doesn't build up to anything astounding and it ceases to fail to leave you enchanted, but after all it is only the intro. The album then delves straight into ‘Keep It Healthy’, of which Theresa’s ghostly vocals float through the disjointed, but nevertheless hypnotic, riffs. Theresa’s vocals are far more prominent in this album in contrast to their debut, where the vocals were more equally distributed between Emily Kokal and Theresa. ‘Love Is To Die’ which engenders the conflicting, and quite frankly frustrating lyrics ‘Love is to die, Love is to not die’ is perhaps the most anthemic track on the album, despite the band being unable to make up their minds.

There is an array of surprises that feature on this album, perhaps the most intriguing is the marijuana induced, Portishead-influenced ‘Hi’. The track offers provocative dub seductions, which befittingly suits Theresa’s term to embody the general theme of the album, ‘sexy’.  Aside from ‘Love Is To Die’, ‘Biggy’ is Warpaint’s exceptional moment of subtle musical genius. It’s the sort of track that Thom Yorke would have loved to produced, or written himself. It’s not something that will make you want to get up and dance with enthusiasm, but it will make you drift along on Warpaint’s enigmatic and nebulous journey to music’s utopia of subtle and intimate brilliance.

‘Disco//Very’ is the album’s most ‘upbeat’ track (although it’s conspicuously dubious to assimilate ‘upbeat’ with Warpaint), which is juxtaposed with dark and spidery tremors of bass and ominous lyrics ‘Don’t you battle, we’ll kill you, we’ll rip you up and tear you in two’. Stella Mogwaza’s mastery of percussion which has a heavy R&B influence supports the foundations of this track, as well as serving as the beating heart of the album as a whole.  

‘Drive’ is immersed with synths, which is underpinned by the bands hazy harmonious vocals and then fades out with their signature XX-esque guitar sound. The album ends on a stripped down surprise, ‘Son’, with guitars, drums and bass virtually non-existent for most of the track. However, this subtle stripped down side to Warpaint is soon overturned by a burst of eidolic vocals, and beautifully crafted soft-grunge with an electronic edge.

 It’s certainly not an album that will be engulfed by the mainstream, but Warpaint are inherently anti-mainstream, defying the stereotypes of the LA rock scene, and offering an interesting alternative to Haim.  Their debut album sounds more like a rambling scrapbook of their influences, whereas their self-titled album is shrouded with mastery, ambition, and musical prowess.  The band have learned to meld all of their talented elements into something incredibly fulfilling for themselves, and us as listeners. Each song carries its own distinct personality, and the album as a whole is a deeply personal and intimate record, yet with the help of Foals and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, it stands as a cohesive masterpiece. 

Gone But Not Forgotten - Why the world fell in love with Lou Reed.

'Venus In Furs' was the first Velvet Underground song I heard, I was around 14 and at that age you feel like the whole world is against you, and that no one understands you. It's a conflict between wanting to be an individual but craving a sense of comradeship and belonging. It was also at that point in my childhood where I would hear my Grandparent's stories of the exuberant and exciting 60s. I consequentially thought that I had been born into the wrong era and this is perhaps where my mutual love for history akin to music stems from. I'm pretty sure I lived in 'Venus in Furs' for about two weeks straight, and that was it for me. After that I delved into the rest of their prolific work, and then finally became engulfed in Lou Reed's most critically acclaimed solo album 'Transformer'. It was also around that time I became obsessed with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. What connects these colossal artists together is that once you become obsessed with one song, you're in. From then on they become an important landmark in your life, and even though you progress to find new bands and fall in love with bands of the moment, you always find yourself returning to where it all started.

Artists like Lou Reed are timeless due to their profound lyrics which are relevant to any individual in any era, be it in 2013 or 1967. Music like this has no expiry date. 'Pale Blue Eyes' particularly spoke to me when I was going through a rather difficult time in a relationship, and has been covered by so many other influential artists, The Kills version of the classic is perhaps my favourite. Despite having little commercial success in terms of selling physical copies (although I am sure that will imminently change) The Velvet Underground have provided inspiration for so many successful bands today. You will find few artists who do not cite Lou Reed as a huge influence, and he has probably inveigled other artists to cover his material more than any other singer/song writer, ever. It was only this morning that I started my day listening to 'Vicious' from the 'Transformer' LP and so to hear of the tragic news this evening was all the more overwhelming and quite frankly, staggering. Whilst the the world of music has suffered an immeasurable loss, his prolific work will continue to inspire future generations and he will certainly not be forgotten. For some one who led such a debauched and turbulent chaotic life, it is actually astounding that he didn't make it into the infamous '27 club' and made it to the impressive age of 71, not that that makes the loss any less calamitous. I'm just searching for some silver linings and i'm sure Lou Reed, of all people, wouldn't want us to feel dispirited. 

Goodbye Lou Reed. Thank you for helping me and many others through the hard times. 

Arctic Monkeys at Earls Court, 25th October.

The quartet from Sheffield played the first of their two highly anticipated sold out gigs at Earls Court in London last night to a myriad of anxious and exuberant fans. As I was lucky enough to see their headline set at Glastonbury back in June, my envisaged expectations were markedly high. However, it is habitually difficult for bands to transfigure that sacred festival atmosphere into monstrous and characterless arenas which so often lack intimacy and can often erect barriers between the indispensable relationship of the band and the fans. Although as I discovered, Earls Court is distinctively different, partly due to the huge bands it has played the role of an invaluable host venue to such as the infamous Oasis gig in 1995, The Rolling Stones and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Character and history are crucial imperatives for an iconic venue and the historic 1930s arena certainly incorporates those components.

The band walked on to the extended haunting intro to ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ with the

towering, statuesque letters ‘AM’ illuminated behind the band as Alex delved into playing  the instantly recognizable riff, of which the crowd harmoniously chanted too.  If a riff initiates a mammoth sing-along in complete unison, then that is the self-evident indication that you have made a colossal hit. Alex and co then unleashed ‘Brianstorm’ to the increasingly psyched up and zealous crowd, which soon descended into beer-throwing, mosh pit-induced chaos, to the point where Alex had to intervene and say ‘You’re going to take care of each other, aren’t you London?’ then immediately propelled the audience back into chaotic turbulence by persisting with the rest of the song. The band now had the crowd in their hands, entranced and anticipating what the rest of the night would entail.        

Alex’s enunciated vocals during the set radiated through the masses of fans, without the dishonourable helping hand of a pre-recorded vocals, which so many ‘artists’ or what I like to refer to as ‘Pop Puppets’ rely on today.  The band are righteously moving away from relying on songs from ‘Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not’ and the latest material from ‘AM’ preponderantly took over the set list last night. Some fans may deem this as a significant flaw in their set, but there is nothing more obsolete and repetitive than a band relying on material they wrote seven years ago. Such nostalgia suffocates and inhibits progression, and Arctic Monkeys are demonstrably keen to progress and reinvent themselves, emphasised by Alex’s slicked back quiff and sartorial elegance in contrast to the scruffy indie look they embraced during the early days. However, for those that may voice their outworn complaints for the lack of old material, they threw in ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dance floor’ for old times’ sake. ‘Fireside’ was perhaps a track on AM which was overlooked by the more domineering, stompy and confident songs such as ‘R U Mine?’ and ‘Arabella’; however last night, it was the track the stood out as the most memorable for me. It sounds almost as if it could be on a Last Shadow Puppets album, but then it throws in a ‘Humbug’ tinged guitar solo towards the end, combined with Turner’s ingenious lyrics riddled with intricate imagery and metaphors which had the most mesmeric, awe-inspiring effect.

Arctic Monkeys concluded their mesmeric set with ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ to which confetti was fired and smoke diffused through the immensely crowded arena. The only disappointment perhaps was that ‘Mad Sounds’ didn’t make it onto the set list, a personal preference to ‘I Wanna Be Yours’. However, the end was in fact further in sight and more was to come from the boys in the band, as Alex and company returned to stage and addressed the audience with ‘Can you stand a couple more London?’ to which they received a predictable enthusiastic response. In the encore they played ‘Snap Out Of It’ and an acoustic version of ‘mardy bum’ which induced a mass sing-a-long, swaying arms and occasional glimpses of lighters flickering amongst the crowd. 

 Alex’s natural fondness of word-play was enforced one last time as he said ‘Come closer, can I ask you a question?’ and the ended the night with ‘R U Mine?’ to which beers were thrown, and the crowd knew every word, which just emphasises the universal popularity and profound admiration for ‘AM’ as an exceptional piece of work. The album will be looked back on in years to come as the ultimate pinnacle for the band; it is their ‘Abbey Road’ and last night’s performance at Earls court will unequivocally be the pinnacle  in their extraordinary journey, just as it was for Oasis. There are few gigs that leave me in an unutterable state of complete awe and unfeigned admiration, but Arctic Monkeys at Earls Court was deservedly one of them.  

Babyshambles in Bristol - The Last Of The Rock Romantics.

Yesterday I attended what was my last gig in Bristol after it being a suitable setting for seeing my favourite bands throughout my adolescence, and what a high to end it on (no pun intended) with Babyshambles. Miraculously and surprisingly the band arrived on stage vaguely on time, suggesting that perhaps the tables have turned and could we possibly see a punctual and more reserved, mellow Peter Doherty? No, is the simple and straight answer to that. Babyshambles embrace the debauchery and chaotic nature of Doherty's prowess on stage, and last night certainly proved that those elements were still potent in the bands manifesto.
The band began the night of exponential chaos with 'Delivery' from the Shotters Nation LP to a devoted and welcoming crowd, beer was thrown, members of the crowd were taken out by security who shared increasingly uneasy looks of concern on their faces, and Doherty immediately had the crowd in his hands like some sort of punk puppeteer.

Babyshambles then delved into the songs from their recent LP 'Sequel to the Prequel' including 'Nothing Comes To Nothing' 'Farmers Daughter' and 'Fall From Grace'. 'Nothing Comes To Nothing' particularly seems to bare resemblances to the likes of The Smiths, which is no surprise as Peter regularly cites The Smiths as being a huge influence, that juxtaposed with Peter's raw, raspy and unrefined vocals gives it that raw, iconic, British punk sound. The main premise of the difference of a Babyshambles gig to any other, is the fans. Peter Doherty's fans are unambiguously devoted and erupt with complete admiration and glorification when in close proximity to such an important icon in the music world, thus creating a distinct atmosphere. The justification for such idolization of a character so hounded by the press is also just as transparent. It was The Libertines that broke the

boundaries between the fans and the band with their infamous gigs at their London flat, intimate venues and a proclaimed appreciation and respect for their fans. It would appear that this tradition has a line of continuity throughout Peter's work. The other point is how accessible he is, and this was emphasized last night with Peter taking gifts from the crowd, picking up trilbies, and actually talking to the crowd which appears to be something of a novelty with other artists today. His lyrics also seem to relate and identify with the youth more than anyone else, his observational method of writing such as 'There are few more distressing sights than that, of an English man in a baseball cap' has influenced songwriters such as Alex Turner. Being a published poet, and a well established singer/songwriter, it is no surprise that 'Sequel To The Prequel' is also filled with glimpses of natural creative genius, rejuvenating that affinity with the youth of today.


The other notable highlights were 'Fuck Forever' - nothing gives such a sense of comradery than hundreds of fans harmoniously singing (shouting) 'Fuck Forever' few live experiences will ever surpass that. 'Killamangiro' also sent the crowd descending into chaotic turmoil, of which was openly embraced by Peter. However, Peter entered classic shambles territory as he downed drinks with the crowds cheer and appraisal, and with bassist Drew looking on with concern and apprehension of what the rest of the night would entail. Just after the band unleashed 'Fuck Forever' half of the band mysteriously left the stage, leaving Peter to improvise with some old Libertines classics such as 'Time For Heroes' and 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun'. Luckily, Mick (guitarist) came on to help and they performed a Ska-esque version of 'I Get Along' with Peter trying to compensate for the missing drummer. It was completely unrehearsed, unexpected and all the more exciting. 'Unexpected' being enshrined in the core of Doherty's endearing and bewildering character.

 Mick then began playing the instantly recognisable chords to Oasis' 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' with an increasingly more rowdy and intoxicated Doherty singing along, and finally the Sound-tech guy joined the improvised, erratic set and provided the beat. Peter also covered 'Twist and Shout' and this brilliant unprecedented, unpredictable set

went on until the lights came up and the o2 pulled the plug on the microphone and the amps, leaving Doherty lying on the floor until he finally took the hints from Mick and walked of stage. It up-ended every expectation I had of Babyshambles, and myself and the rest of the fans shared the same mutual feeling of gratification, particularly when the set went wayward. The sense that we had witnessed something particularly special. I've seen The Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys and The Cure amongst others, but nothing comes close to what I was a part of last night. Peter definitely lived up to his notorious reputation of being the last of the rock romantics, the remnant of true British Rock n' Roll, and that for all his foibles embracing the best of British culture.




Thank you, and Goodbye Bristol. Next gigging Utopia, London.





If you haven't got hold of a copy of  'Sequel To The Prequel' then here's a taster of what's on the album.

'AM' - The Evolution.

This review has proven to be possibly one of the most difficult and challenging articles I have ever written. This being for two main reasons, one being that I am self-admittedly part of a myriad of devoted fans and so with that comes potential elements of bias, subjectivity and well quite frankly, entering the discredit worthy, dismissive, preachy fan territory which I will try to stay away from. I can at least say I tried. The second reason being it's extremely difficult not to be subjective, and pick out some criticisms from the album because 'AM' stands as such a confident, prodigious piece of work produced by the four lads from Sheffield. For those that fell in love and willingly followed the new direction they set their sails towards with Humbug, then following that 'Suck it and See' then you will also irrevocably fall in love with 'AM'. However, in no sense is this album simply derivative of it's predecessors, it's progressive, grown up and there are even some heavy undertones of R&B amongst the psychedelic, heavy riffs embedded in tracks like 'Arabella' and 'One For The Road'. The dynamics of Arctic Monkeys, style, sound and demeanor has been constantly evolving and shifting ever since 'Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not'  was released in 2006 to 'AM' which was released yesterday. 'AM' however, appears to be particularly different, not just in regards to the new slicked back haircuts and Alex Turner's crafted stage prowess, in fact our concentration should shift away from that to their new distinctive sound and the lyrics which recently amongst music critics and fans have proven to be contentious issues.

The album begins with the two potent singles 'Do I Wanna Know?' and 'R U Mine?' which immediately sets the bar high for the rest of the album, sending a strong tone of confidence and a more than adequate dose of old fashioned Rock n' Roll, less raw-scratchy indie rock, and more LA/Hollywood intricately produced and cleverly crafted heavy alternative Rock album, with catchy riffs underpinned by an edgy, hard hitting bass. The third song on the album 'One For The Road' firmly cements the idea that this album more than any other, highlights their extensive influences, most notably and perhaps the most intriguing, Hip Hop. Matt Helder's increasingly more prominent RnB tinged backing vocals, reinforced by the drumming and beats also provided by Helders, combined with some classic Humbug-esque riffs highlights how versatile and dynamic Arctic Monkeys really are, and even more to the point how far they have moved on. However, what hasn't changed is Alex Turner's creative aptitude and capability as he sings in his captivating falsetto vocals in Arabella  'She's got a barbarella silver swimsuit, and when she needs to shelter from reality, she takes a dip in my day dreams' once again enhancing the idea that as a lyricist in the current music world, no one writes quite so eloquently as Turner himself. However, the intriguing juxtaposition to such eloquence is the general mood of the album, that mood being the nights-turned into-mornings on the town and alcohol influenced desires and affections encapsulated in 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?'.  In terms of lyrics, Alex Turner is still very much an observational writer but of course, when moving from Sheffield to LA your observations will inevitably change, and this album certainly reflects that, just as any album should.

In contrast to the heavy Rock N' Roll numbers on 'AM' tracks like the anthemic, 60s influenced ballad 'Mad Sounds' magnifies a different and perhaps softer side to Arctic Monkeys, that even throws in a mandatory cliche 'Oh, la la la' for good measure. 'No.1 Party Anthem' also shares a similar tone however, unfortunately it does get tedious and monotonous about half way through, you feel like it's building up to something, leading up to some sort of climax, which unfortunately turns out to be quite the anti-climax but pleasant and easy listening nevertheless. 'I Want It All' also becomes slightly robotic at times, but there are far too many highlights in this album that overshadow what are merely subtle flaws. There you go - some negative points, just to keep things balanced and fulfill my strenuous promise I made earlier.

'Fireside' seems to be very much reminiscent of the Humbug era, and lyrically something that can be traced back to Favourite Worst Nightmare as Turner sings 'That place on Memory Lane you liked still looks the same/But something about it's changed' once again enhancing Alex's capability to effortlessly pull out great metaphors, and profound imagery with his natural affinity and flair for songwriting. Possibly one of the catchiest riffs in the entire masterpiece can be heard in 'Knee Socks' accompanied by friend, and a notable musical influence for Arctic Monkeys, Josh Homme from Queens of The Stone Age who's contribution towards the album has been somewhat overestimated in terms of production. Matt Helders has stated in an interview in regards to Josh Homme's contribution 'He just came down and sung on one of the songs. He came down more as a friend, with an opinion, for one night' reassuring music critics that all credit for this album remains with the four boys in the band.


 Unfortunately, some fans are still stuck in the days of the youthful exuberance enshrined in 'Whatever People Say I am That's What I'm Not' and it's no great surprise, it was one of the definitive albums of the 00s and it manifested itself into what has become a highly influential debut album. However, some fans are being suffocated by nostalgia, and longing for them to return to that scratchy Libertines inspired sound is becoming somewhat futile and ridiculous. The band have been experimenting, exploring and maturing ever since their debut and thank God. It would get awfully tedious if Alex and Co followed so many other artists today and played safe, refused to progress for the fear of declining record sales and losing a secure fan base, furthermore, it would seem such a progressive attitude has certainly paid off, proven by the massive global following they have managed to build up. This album affirms the idea that they have evolved into masters of songwriting, and have become one of our most valuable exports to the rest of the world - something the British fans should certainly be proud of. So Vladmir Putin - Britain may not be what you recently described as a 'small island that no-one pays any attention to'. The UK's still exporting the most influential bands in the world, and 'AM' certainly holds the music world's attention. Britain's increasingly diminished pride 1 - 0 Russia.




For now,
Here's 'Arabella'. Enjoy.

My record of the week - Temples 'Colours To Life'

                                                                     

The band that has had Noel Gallagher,Johnny Marr, and other masses of music lovers obsessing over, with their revived 60s Beatles-esque psychedelic sound are becoming more and more prominent in the alternative music world. Temples' 'Shelter Song' certainly captured our attention last year as it awakened those nostalgic feelings of the 60s that most would love to have been old enough to experience. Despite us being unable to choose our place in the history of music, it's bands like these that reinforce the fact that individuals are still getting something out of that influential time, and are rehabilitating and recreating the iconic sound like that captured in 'Revolver', an album that has proved to be so influential and authoritative to the modern Psychedelic revival that has a strong grasp on the music industry at present, forcing the modern world to collide and clatter with the 1960s/1970s, thus pushing the boundaries of musical creativity, a drive which seems to be lacking in most artists today. Temples are set to embark on a huge UK tour this autumn, so be sure to look out for them. But for now, here's  'Colour To Life' a taster of what could be the album of the year,  and potentially viable for the Mercury Prize...

'Where The Heaven Are We' - Lost excitement and expectations unfulfilled.

After the success and gleaming reviews of the Sound of 2013 nominees, Peace and their debut album 'In Love', our eyes turned to Birmingham's next prized export Swim Deep. Earlier this week Swim Deep unleashed their highly anticipated album 'Where The Heaven Are We' to a myriad of hungry fans, like myself. Now it must be said, Swim Deep originally failed to quench my musical thirst the first time I heard them but I gave them another chance, and after seeing them at Dot to Dot festival in Bristol this year and following that, Glastonbury,  I was engulfed in their distinctive, psychedelic dream-pop sound. However, after listening to their album from start to finish, I was left disaffected and somewhat disappointed. It's as though the live performances I saw in contrast to the material recorded on their debut album, are in distant worlds away from each other, unable to form those strong parallels that are so important for a band. For me, a band with great musical aptitude and talent can capture elements of that excitement of a live atmosphere into an album, then allow their material to bloom, flourish and evolve at their gigs. It would appear that unfortunately Swim Deep have failed to transcend this.

After the intriguing intro taken from 'She Changes The Weather', the album begins with 'Franisco' which fails to hit you hard in the chest quite like their anthem of youth and juvenescence 'King City' did when it was first released it. It's all rather wishy-washy, vaguely emotionally stimulating, largely uninteresting pop with undertones of soft grunge. Then the third and most memorable track 'King City' has the redeeming qualities and hard hitting melodies to regain your lost attention but it seems as if the rest of the album from this point on is trying too hard to play follow the leader, trying to find that magic ingredient which was invested in 'King City' and no other track on the album really stands up to it as a contender. One of the most distinctly notable moments of their live performance at Dot to Dot festival for me was 'Red Lips I know' with it's hypnotic intro into a whirl pool of infectious psychedelia and the bass sending tremors right through you, yet on record along with most of the other tracks it's diminished into mediocracy and fundamentally a very 'play safe' sort of album. 'Mediocracy' being a word that I associate with Bastille may I add... Okay, calling it mediocre may be a step too far, it's a good album but it's not great or groundbreaking. It doesn't have the lasting impact Peace's album 'In Love' had with every track on that album staying far away from the fear of a dodgy album track that will eventually be forgotten about. 

In terms of the long anticipation and wait for the album, eleven tracks of which four tracks have already been released as singles to be consumed by fans, isn't quite fulfilling those high expectations that have been cemented for months and months into the highly excitable minds of music lovers. It just doesn't hit you hard enough, quick enough. The competency for Austin Williams and co to write something great is definitely there, they have the ability, but it would appear that this first album may be their most difficult. 'Where The Heaven Are We' ends on a positive note with 'She Changes The Weather' which definitely reinforces the idea that Swim Deep have the capacity to create a proud representation of  the music scene of our current generation, something to generate nostalgia and sentimentality but there are too many moments on this album where this is lost. However I would advise anyone and everyone to take up the opportunity to see them live as they are definitely worth seeing, and the lost excitement and hysteria that didn't transcend it's way on to the album, finds it's way again on the unpredictable wayward path of their live performances. But who knows, maybe history will repeat itself and their album will grow on me just like 'Honey' did.

For now, let's try and capture the optimism enshrined in the core of Swim Deep's band manifesto and leave on a positive note with a live clip of  'King City'.