Warpaint

After three years, Warpaint have returned with their second full-length album to date; the L.A. four-piece brought in super producer Flood to add his studio knowhow to the record and even managed to get the one and only Nigel Godrich involved in the album to mix. Two great coups and three years of work later and there's little wonder as to why 'Warpaint' is one of the most eagerly awaited releases of early 2014.

For those familiar with the band's first album, this sophomore release will come as surprise concerning just how different the band sound on record now. They've all but ditched their natural guitars, bass and drum sounds in favour of studio trickery matched with synth lines and wraithlike undercurrents. 'Warpaint' is a seriously chilled out release, yet one that struggles to ever find any kind of resonance within itself. It's all very pleasant in its hazy, effervescent world but 'Warpaint' ends up being incredibly unmemorable and can so easily just drift by without making any sort of impact or even managing to enjoy the occasional stop and listen moment. I listened to this album on loudspeaker, through headphones and just using my half-decent laptop speakers. Regardless of what medium 'Warpaint' was played through, nothing felt different; no song seemed any more worth mentioning or gave any reason to get excited. It was all a bit underwhelming, to be honest.

This dreamy Cocteau Twin-inspired indie scale that has found an ever-increasing audience and demand over recent years has been the standard for this album, yet it is only when the group stray away from their XX meets Kilo Kish aspirations that they deliver any sort of a blow.

Continue reading: Warpaint - Warpaint Album Review

As one-day music festivals go, London's Field Day stands out from the crowd as being the most ambitious and forward-thinking certainly in terms of its booking policy. Concentrating on the more hip end of the spectrum along with legendary artists of yore, the Eat Your Own Ears curated event has hosted the likes of Wild Beasts, Laura Marling, Foals, The Horrors and Bat For Lashes at very early stages in their artistic development since its inaugural bash in 2007. Situated in Victoria Park just a stones throw away from Mile End tube station in the capital's east side, this year has seen Field Day expand its number of stages to seven, with the Do You Come Here Often? and joint venture between the Lock Tavern and Shacklewell Arms each hosting line-ups for the first time.

Continue reading: Field Day, Victoria Park, London. 6th August 2011 Live Review

I have not seen a 'Smash Hits' style interview with Warpaint as yet so unfortunately I cannot let you know what their favourite cereal is. (I'd guess it's not Alpen). I don't know what they consider the best films, songs or actors, which flavour ice-cream they'd choose or whether they prefer salted or sweet popcorn. I have however seen video footage and I have heard and heard and heard the new album. So without wishing to be too presumptuous here are Warpaint and The Fool as I hear them in an adapted multi-choice/third party/unauthorised biography sort of way.................

More Sofia Coppola than James Cameron, more Tom Sawyer than Tom Cruise. American Graffiti but not necessarily American Gangster. Green and purple rather than red and blue. BMX and Skateboards over Rollerblades and Mountain Bikes. BudLite not MillerLite, although maybe Camel over Marlboro. JD given the option of JD and Jim Beam. Indonesia before Ibiza. Leonard Cohen, Jack Keruak, Walt Whitman, Jackson Pollock and Edward Hopper. Cecil Beaton before Cecil B D Mille. Sean Penn beats Sean Bean, Susan Sarandon beats Susan Boyle and Ben & Jerry's tops Haagen Dazs! Renaissance and Realist before Abstract or Cubist and Camp Fire not Frat Party......

Continue reading: Warpaint, The Fool Album Review