by Aaron Kavanagh
are a band, or a supergroup, or a fuckin’ whatever, consisting of members from Taking Back Sunday, Circa Survive, and Grouplove, and, interestingly enough, none of those act’s music are a good indicator of Fuckin Whatever’s.
This music is very fresh and different. The press releases for the band boast that their music features zero instrumentation. Their music primarily consists of vocal music, and they utilize a variety of different vocal techniques for their sound, including a cappella, chanting, harmonizing, humming, whistling, vibrato, melisma, and fuckin’ whatever else you can think of. The EP doesn’t exclusively utilize vocal music, however; Grouplove’s Ben Homola adds some very distinguishing percussion to each song using only household items.
The vocal music, percussion, and Anthony Green’s lead singing accumulate to create an experimental, avant-garde, musical hybrid that invokes pop, dance, and traditional tribal and folk music of Nordic, African, and South American cultures. Animal Collective are the band’s most obvious influence, but there are strains that are reminiscent of Ozric Tentacles or The Slits, and even more contemporary artists, like M.I.A. or MØ.
Given it’s rawness and liveliness, Fuckin Whatever may give the illusion of having minimal production, but it is clear that a lot of production effort has gone into making these songs as fluid and interesting as they are.
Two songs from the EP, “Never Believe” and “Original Sin,” were released as singles. Singles are obviously an important part of promotion, to drum up interest in an EP or album before its release, but the Fuckin Whatever EP needs to be heard as a complete unit, rather than the songs being listened to individually, as listening to any of the songs alone can’t replicate the intended experience.
Fuckin Whatever don’t feel like an act that you go and see to hear a specific hit song. No, to paint a picture, Fuckin Whatever are the kind of act you go to see at a dingy, poorly-ventilated, 200-capacity club. As you sweat profusely and sway fitfully from left to right, out of sync with the music, on the two inches of dance floor you have to yourself on either side, the music bleeds together in a trippy union, and you leave as a euphoric, sweaty, dehydrated mess with a big smile on your face.
During its runtime, Fuckin’ Whatever does create a hypnotic, attention-grabbing 22 minutes. Admittedly, the lingering effects of those 22 minutes can be quite ephemeral after the EP is finished, but it is still an experience worth having. Don’t say “fuckin’ whatever” to Fuckin Whatever by Fuckin Whatever, and give it a chance.
The post Album Review: Fuckin Whatever – Fuckin Whatever appeared first on New Noise Magazine.