Warpaint – The Fool

Court martial! On charges of worst band-related misnomer since Mogwai entitled a post-rock album Happy Songs for Happy People. Los Angeles all-lady four-piece Warpaint deserve the charge, for if there’s any kind of war on debut album The Fool then it’s only of the attrition variety.

Picking up on the post-pub, post-club, post-smile vibe so recently nailed to the wall by Mercury champions The XX, The Fool is a slow grower, all atmospherics and barely-there ethereal female vocals, but with a grungy, dissatisfied angst at the bottom that encourages you to put in the listening time it demands. The three vocalists swoop and swirl, leaving chunks of melody and lyrical snatches lying like abandoned carrion.

Eponymous track Warpaint sets the benchmark: aforementioned early-morning atmospherics, intelligent, ever-changing guitar work, and a dark, guilt drenched disco bit. Though undoubtedly subtle and clever, The Fool is too unwilling at points to get off its exhausted arse, and really make you care about it,  [PJ Meiklem]