Warpaint – s/t

Rating:

In 2010 these four ladies snaked their way into the limelight with their sound that somehow seemed to ooze just the right amount of softness and raw power. The result of this well-balanced combo was a killer debut album in The Fool, and left fans in high anticipation as to what would follow. Which leads us to the real question: can this sophomore effort carry over the dynamic that L.A’s Warpaint established without becoming tired?

Through a two minute “Intro” track, the band declares themselves once more as the psychedelic, musically swirling group that you remember them to be. There’s an exciting air in the Introduction, not only reminding you of the musical elements that first pulled you into Warpaint, but also the lack of the delicate vocals builds the anticipation for the rest of the album. After the two minutes of musical opening, these ladies kick in with “Keep It Healthy,” that revolves, for a hot second, around the mumbling guitar riff, but only until the group vocals chime in their almost militaristic chant. This track is interesting in its constancy—whereas tracks from previous releases seemed to meander a bit, with the vocals trading off between the ladies, this song has one direction and it stays there.

This direction is one you want the group to follow, and lead single “Love Is To Die” does just this, beginning with ethereal “oohs,” ambient noise and a bubbling bass line that seems to be a shade darker than anything you might find on their previous album. The psychedelic-light rock music has turned impossibly skin crawlingly more chilling, becoming the nightmare to the last records’ dreamy nature. On “Disco/Very,” the vocals have been textured with a buzzing effect and this sound imagery evokes voodoo vibe, as if the women of Warpaint are casting spells with their song. The lyrics reflect this sinister sound as well: “Don’t you battle/ We’ll kill you/ We’ll rip you up and tear you in two.”

My biggest complaint about this record is that the middle tracks, for the most part, blend together and lack the catching effect that the tracks at the beginning and end posses. There’s too many tracks that you could simply live without, though they may be a nice soundscape for your daily tasks.

In the case of this sophomore release, the album artwork is a perfect indication to what lays inside. The greenish yellow hues surround layered images that create a shadowed, vague singular image, reflective of the buzzy and eerily murky sound. If The Fool seemed dark and lurking, then Warpaint only retreats further into the shadows, which works for the group in some instances, and becomes a little monotonous in others.