Warpaint: The Fool

By Michael Lopez Tue., Oct. 26 2010 at 7:33 AM

Categories: Review Roundup

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This one's for the ladies, compliments of LA all-female quartet Warpaint.

Today marks the release of their stunningly cohesive debut album The Fool. Six years in the making, The Fool maps out the band's penchant for all things Joy Division. Well, actually their take is a smidgen more upbeat, though The Fool is plenty dark and brooding, which is refreshing, I suppose, for an all-girl group. The Bangles these ladies ain't, which is a bullshit assessment to begin with, but such is the fate for a band comprised solely of the fairer sex.

For all intents and purposes, I could tell that at least the lead singer and guitarist/backup vocalist were female, but I had no idea the entire band was. It changes absolutely nothing about my reception of The Fool as it steadily inches towards becoming one of October's better new releases -- and that's saying something with the bevy of quality albums out this month.

What the critics are saying:

The Guardian: There is something subtly contrary about this band: their most enigmatic song bears the name Warpaint, while their least-composed song - which opens in a fury of shouted vocals and uncoils in a meandering jam of slowly detuned guitars - is called Composure.

Spin: While too many indie girl groups seem content to rebuild the Wall of Sound brick by brick, this Los Angeles quartet dedicate their hypnotic harmonies and guitars to a different cause: the House of Ian Curtis.

Blare Magazine: Identical to a brunette in a summer dress at a loft party, The Fool is mysteriously attractive. It's shy yet riveting, softspoken yet mesmerizing.

Clash Music: There is a hypnotic atmosphere throughout, with harsh tinny guitars drilling through your head, and the LP's only real letdown is that it would benefit from the injection of a change of pace to invigorate the moodiness.

The Fool is out now via Rough Trade.

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