Warpaint

(Rough Trade)

Krautrock’s metronomic headspace encountered a ripple in the force via Warpaint’s 2010 debut full-length, The Fool. Aquatic somnambulance rather than Germanic jam powered the L.A. foursome of Emily Kokal, Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg, and Stella Mozgawa, the former two vox moaning monastically Portishead, while the latter rhythm section applied a Tortoise epidural. Second LP Warpaint stirs, stews, beats, and swells far more amniotic, evoking the seminal psych greeting, ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space. “Love Is to Die” spikes a mnemonic chorus, equivalent to The Fool‘s lush spellbinder “Undertow.” Massive Attack traffics in basslines much like the one on the succeeding “Hi,” skittering with a second wave British Invasion sleekness, while “Biggy” gets synth blissy. Then “Teese” lapses narcotic (“I’m in heaven, now/You’re so golden/I’m so golden”), “Go In” teases Blur trainspotter “Sing,” and “CC” begs “gimme more.” Take whatever you want, ladies. (11:30pm, Mohawk Patio)

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This article appears in March 14 • 2014.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.