art is fun! (Warpaint)

*from my tumblr earlier this year

Warpaint

Why you'll love it:  Pretty music with lots of atmosphere

Why you'll hate it: boring and forgettable

"Tries way too hard" is one of my most hated phrases of criticism.  I’ve seen lots of acts go for something and not convince me, but the idea of scoffing at somebody for trying really gets on my nerves.  It’s one of those few things that actually brings out a brief "how dare you?" reaction out of me.

You know the kinds of bands that generate criticism like that… Ten years ago, I LOVED The Mars Volta.  I enjoyed At The Drive-in for its unpredictable delivery, and ridiculous vocabulary.  Mars Volta was even more of that, and with a lot of guitar solos.  What’s not to love?  A lot, apparently.  Because Mars Volta made one too many weird songs, and eventually became vilified by the internet for “trying too hard”.  Casually mentioning the Mars Volta in a positive light painted a picture of myself as pathetically vying for attention.  Something not too far apart from the stereotypical eccentric art student, bullshitting some deep meaning out of irrelevant garbage.

The truth was, I was just a normal everyday dork, in my Bad Religion t-shirt, and getting maybe a few questions right watching Jeopardy.  I liked Mars Volta lyrics because they sounded like a crazy man on a subway platform.  It’s just entertainment; not to feel smarter or more hip than other people.  It’s beer & fireworks.  A simple pleasure.

If you change your perspective just a bit on these “tries too hard” bands, you may forget what the big deal is.  There is no pedestal, no agenda, or scheme to create a personality or culture.  Sometimes bands do what they do because it’s fun, even if it sounds like “art”.  This is the impression I get from Warpaint.  After racking my brain spinning their self titled LP over and over, trying to figure out what they’re trying to achieve, I changed my perspective a bit.  Maybe they just think this echoey, mellow, electronic/acoustic nebula sounds pretty, and that’s it.  The point is pretty music.  We get caught up in terms sometimes of what an art band, experimental band, or indie band has to be, when it can be simpler than that.

Warpaint is a pretty album, with emphasis on album.  I’ve tried plucking out samples to go back to, single tracks, and they don’t hold up without the context of the other 45 minutes.  I listened to this album a lot while playing The Binding of Isaac, and that’s when I really started to warm to it.  Just like a well used moody video game soundtrack, you don’t realize how good it is until you catch it creeping up on you when you’re not paying full attention.

Depending on your patience, you have the option.  You can look at Warpaint as trying too hard to sound like this meaningful emotional crooning art piece, but in the end says very little; or you could say it’s just a group that enjoys slow and soft music.  I’m not enamored by Warpaint, but totally get it, and I think I’ve found the right way to enjoy it.

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[END OF THE YEAR UPDATE] - I had a lot to say about music in general in this article, but not much to say about the actual album.  It's good!  Just... doesn't stick with me all that much.  Great background album.  Doesn't do that much more for me, personally.