Warpaint

Academy, Manchester | October 29

Like many great bands, the members of Warpaint are active independently of one another. But quiet side-projects aside (of which they all have at least one) it’s through their unique synergy and irreplaceability – that mix of the four of them – which makes them a great act, rather than the compromised aesthetic of a band who talk too much about direction and refer to ‘the band’ like a fifth member. These four are real friends with a healthy but committed attitude to their cause. 

It transpires tonight that guitarist and singer Theresa Wayman has taken to lead vocals on many of their latest offerings. Emily Kokal, whose voice has led previous hits like Undertow and Elephants, takes a backseat in this respect, despite possessing the stronger voice of the two leads. Encore and old favourite Baby highlights this when Kokal performs on her own, channeling Mazzy Star’s Into Dust and lyrically, with any close inspection, a song akin to I’ll Be Watching You in it’s quiet and sinister obsession.

Wayman’s voice, by comparison, is flooded in distortion. There’s an ‘off’ quality to her performance. A little sharp, a little flat. It feels intentional, the kind of odd pleasure/pain you’d get from a loose tooth that you just can’t leave alone. It hurts in a good way. The similarly jarring turns on new single Love Is To Die are confirmation that predictable chord changes and song structures are rules being broken rather than ignored. Drummer Stella Mozgawa and bassist Jenny Lee Lindburg are the underlying structure onto which Kokal and Wayman paint their melodies. Known for unpredictable fits of laughter through the cloud of psychedelic-brood, this time the pair are physically and sonically further back than ever, despite truly solid performances. The laughing fits seems all but gone, only returning on Undertow – as always, without reasonable explanation.

Fans returning from The Fool saw none of the many, many gigs and months it took to develop and grow their performance into something effortless and phantasmagoric, seemingly casting spells rather than playing instruments. They still have the element of surprise in their collective back-pocket. Continuing to evolve, and play with, every cut from The Fool is the sign of committed, passionate band. What might be lost in polish on their newer songs will be more than made up for in the life they will breathe into every song, whether old or new, hit or slow-burner.

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Words: Alistair Hardaker