Warpaint Live Review

Following a series of cancelled shows due to ‘family issues’, tonight’s gig has consequently been much anticipated. As the rich diversity of people swarm into The Institute, huddled fans highlight Warpaint’s immense popularity and the admirable level of success that they’ve achieved over the past five years. And, by the end of a thrilling and completely captivating 14-song set, it isn’t difficult to see why.

From the hair-raising opener Warpaint to the gently intense Love is to Die, the show is an unflinching triumph. A strong setlist seamlessly weaves in and out of their two albums, pleasing the crowd with new and old favourites such as Undertow and Disco//Very. Lengthy eight-minute new single No Way Out proves itself as the pivotal moment of the show, as the ingenious instrumental interplay punches through the air, serving as a reminder of Warpaint’s relationship with the live setting. Layered with Kokal and Wayman’s ghostly vocals, their luring lullabies pierce the hot room with high note heartbreak, Stella Mozgawa’s funk-driven drums all the while injecting both the crowd and band with an energy for dancing, before cooling it down a notch with a stripped-back version of Composure.

The night ends with the dark and lingering Biggy, which tells again that Warpaint are just as bewitching and sensual as they are quirky and erratic, making their multifaceted music as addictive as their naturally mesmerising presence. By the end of the evening, it’s difficult to remember that this band is only two albums deep, making the wait for what is yet to come unquestionably intriguing.

Lucy Rose Live Review

“If you’ve seen my new video, you will have seen different animals eating different kinds of food off my body…not in a weird way… well, actually, no, in a very weird way…” Lucy Rose goofily gushes at her equally-gushing audience before submerging them into punchy new single Our Eyes. Tonight’s sold out show is so intimate, that if it wasn’t for Rose’s witty and silly chit-chat between songs, it would have probably have the feeling of an awkward first date between two strangers. Her quirky humour, modest charm and stunningly soothing voice all have her audience yo-yoing between fits of laughter and open-mouthed mesmerisation, all in a mere few hours.

Showcasing an array of new material from upcoming album Work It Out, she timorously apologises for the set being ‘so long’, unnecessarily so as the crowd listen enthusiastically and devotedly. Tracks such as Cover Up and Köln are infused with instrumental experimentation, driven by pulsating rhythm and sharp guitar chops, giving each of them a less innocent façade when compared to previous work.

Nevertheless, it’s one of her quietest and calmest song that proves itself as the most impressive part of the night. Admitting that she never has trouble deciding to perform this track, the audience are hurled into bittersweet ambience with old favourite Shiver. Rose’s flawless vocals swirl sensually around the room, slowing down the pace completely and leaving the whole room latch onto every word murmured. Never before has a crowd at a gig been so silent; it’s as if a spell has been cast and the audience hypnotised, transfixed onto the huge voice that arises from such a dainty frame. The 25 year old Surrey sweetheart may well be deemed too ‘nice’ or too ‘same-y’ but everyone at the Institute tonight witnesses an artist that really is much more than that.

Coffee by Sylvan Esso

Seemingly by accident, Mountain Man’s Amelia Meath and Made of Oak’s Nick Sanborn, crossed paths two years ago and inconspicuously conjured alternative two-man-band, Sylvan Esso. Two years on and the pair are quickly attracting positive attention, moreover setting standards for self-titled debut high with charming album single, ‘Coffee’, a vaporous slow-burner spelled with hazy, electro pulses and glitchy pop synths that seamlessly whirl between Meath’s soothing vocals. The refreshingly effortless lyricism works flawlessly amongst Sanborn’s texturised undertones, creating a track simple enough to appreciate in the background, yet nourished with enough layers to set you on the dance floor. Accidental or not, ‘Coffee’ reveals that sooner or later the Durham duo were destined to come together.

There Is No Other Time

"This record is very much about the present, an emotionally honest album about technological and personal progression,” brags Klaxon’s drummer, Jamie Reynolds to NME. Here, ‘present’ really means ‘insignificant’ and ‘technological’ is now a copy-and-paste remix edition of an outdated and monotonous club track. It seems then, The Klaxons, who once dazzled music critics and fans with their masterpiece debut in 2007, haven’t progressed in the slightest. Seven years on and a tepid second album later, things are relentlessly looking bleak if ‘There is No Other Time’ is anything to go by. What once was a band jammed with dense elements, quirky lyrics and exhilarating musical ideas, is now a band producing irritating, catchy-but-in-a-bad-way music that quite frankly, belongs nowhere else but Eurovision song contest.

No Mythologies to Follow

Bikini Daze left countless critics and pop lovers giddy with excitement of what was yet to come from the deserving talent in Denmark’s MØ. Since the energetic strut of ‘Pilgrim’ and catchy brass hooks of Diplo collaborated ‘XXX 8’ graced our ears last year, No Mythologies to Follow couldn’t have come any sooner. As predicted, it doesn’t disappoint, making the eager anticipation and high expectations surrounding it, totally justifiable.

Captivating from the beginning, opener ‘Fire Rides’ is grasping from its first pulse of booming drums, all while MØ’s distinct, sultry vocals swirl perfectly amongst the glitchy guitars and sparse electronic melodies. The eerie, party-dynamic ambience of ‘Waste of Time’ is followed by bitter-sweet, love song ‘Dust is Gone,’ a stunningly lulling and elegant play underpinned by a heart-wrenching vocals and vaporous instrumentation. ‘Dust is Gone’ immediately reflects the dreamy, 50s-like, vintage-esque vocals of Lana Del Rey, reminding us that MØ can break your heart as well as free it on the dance floor.

The mixture of style in No Mythologies to Follow is a demonstration of MØ’s dissimilar strands of identity, tied together to create an explosion of dynamic yet subtle sublime. It jumps from pulsating pop, to icy electro, to soulful high-note heartbreak with breathtaking effortlessness, setting the Danish talent remotely apart from other pop contemporaries and ending on a piece of art that is very nearly, close to perfection.

Arabella

Sporting slick new haircuts and debonair suits to compliment their evolved sound, AM was the album that saw the Arctic Monkeys grow into real, cutting-edge, forefront artists; making their shabby, punk-rock past an almost unrecognisable and distant memory.

Fourth track ‘Arabella’, distinguishes itself as the cornerstone of the album, showcasing the bands knack for lyricism and rhythm that made them successful in the first place. Turner’s wry and witty wordplay is as dazzling as it was seven years ago, as he seductively slurs, “Arabella's got some interstellar gator skin boots, and a helter skelter round her little finger and I ride it endlessly.” The opening is a slow-burner, accumulated of lazy, hip-hop undertones and sinister, simmering grooves rushed into hefty, hard-edged rock, packed with choppy guitar work and chunky riffs that are a reminiscence of their Favourite Worst Nightmare days.

‘Arabella’ is smart and randy, simultaneously oozing with wickedness and sex appeal, showcasing everything the Arctic Monkeys know they’re good at, only upgraded and touched by a stroke of genius, leaving the rest of us hungry for more.

Bad Weather EP

Already famous for their energetic live performances, (which needless to say challenge even the most rigid of people), thriving three-piece Youth Man have single-handedly encapsulated everything Birmingham music has been applauded for. Now, with brand new EP recorded and produced in just a week, Bad Weather is fortunately, just as fun and explosive as the band's previous work...only of course, better.

Opening track Heavy Rain evokes notions of uneasiness. Teases of stirring, rousing guitar riffs are accumulated before listeners are throttled unremorsefully into rasping, head-banging heaven.  Adam’s thick layers of bass guitar and Kaila’s visceral vocal attack combine spectacularly, all meanwhile Marcus’ heavy drums cut and punch through the air, showcasing the threesomes indisputable musical talent.

Insipid is short and experimental- clocking in at just under a minute and a half cleverly exaggerates the tracks powerful energy. Third track Salt is dark and lingering, as front woman Kaila menacingly utters slow, sinister lyrics sandwiched between outbreaks of high tempo-ed, noise rock. Finally, the record is bought to an end by Wide Awake. A lengthy, slow-burner, completely spellbinding and gripping down to the very last cord, asserting itself as the most impressive track on the album and proving that Youth Man and their music, are nothing short of brilliant.

Download Bad Weather Here: https://youthman.bandcamp.com/album/bad-weather-ep

See them live at their album launch party: The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham  (Saturday 23^{rd November)}