Album Review

Warpaint – The Fool

• 1st Nov 2010

Just recently, I have fallen deeply in love with the band Warpaint. With their quirky, overly excitable personalities and never a frown on show, what is not to love?

And what’s really intriguing about this four-piece from L.A is that their music is nothing like their personas and debute album The Fool proves this.

Ghostly and drowsy, Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman’s mesmerizing voices drift those who listen off to a new universe. A universe of moons and unfamiliar feelings, a place driven by thick heavy basslines and drum beats that fit to set the mood perfectly: Haunting.

Single, Undertow, sees them asking the question “what’s the matter? you hurt yourself” while Composure’s introduction grabs your attention with repetitive taunting by the band, like school bullies picking on the geek in the playground but instead using the words ‘how can I keep my composure’, layered on top of a casual drum beat and slow riff. Then there’s Shadows: A somewhat sunny feel of chord use mixed with a laid back piano and words of confusion.

They are the vocal equivalent of Zola Jesus and the funky guitaring of Foals. Therefore, Warpaint fit in perfectly with the music scene of today. But what’s unique about this band is when I picture an all girl group it’s the usual Girls Aloud and some wannabe X Factor act more concerned about their appearences rather than the songs they are performing. If I’m looking at an edgier side, there’s The Like – stylish but capable of writing and playing instruments themselves. One thing that all of these have in common though is that their music is lively and I suppose you could call it happy. Warpaint are not like this as they produce songs very much the opposite.

Could they be abolishing the stereotypical view on girl groups? Maybe. Maybe not. Only time will tell.