Los Angeles-based Warpaint make bold new strides towards unexplored territory on their third album Heads Up, showing a surprising new side to the band while retaining their signature psychedelic infused sound. Long renowned for their dreamy soundscapes and haunting vocal performances, the band’s magnetism makes for a thrilling listen that commands with every note.
Whiteout opens the album with a pulsating beat, as vocalists Theresa Wayman and Emily Kokal sing passionately and in unison. Spanning six glorious minutes, the track So Good sets the benchmark for the whole album, completely changing direction at the halfway point to become a much bigger and bolder song. The Stall is driven by its rhythm section as the lyrics promise “I won’t give up on you, I think you want me to.” As is often the case with narratives that inspire a release, Warpaint are lamenting over romantic relationships on this record, but rather than feeling overdone or insincere each track offers a new side to the story.
The aptly named New Song is an entirely different sound for the band with their pop sensibilities coming to the forefront. The chorus is daring and completely arresting as they bring a newfound sense of vibrancy to the track. Don’t Let Go is pleading in its urgency, with the vocals growing more desperate as the song unfolds, while Dre is a wonderfully slow burning ambient number. The album ends on a quieter note with Today Dear, showing the band at their most exposed.
Warpaint are truly masters of their craft, with their songs carefully constructed to fully immerse their audience in the listening experience. Given the strength of this album it’s certainly not advantageous to say that three albums in Warpaint are still as mesmerising as ever.
BY HOLLY PEREIRA
