Wargirl is a band from Long Beach, California, that was formed by Matt Wignall, a longtime collaborator with Cold War kids. That’s not the only musical pedigree in the band. Vocalist Samantha Park is the daughter of James Lafayette Parks, the leader of 70s funk band Bull and the Matadors. While Wargirl is not a funk band (it is much harder to categorize than that), it definitely produces some funk and soul sounds on its debut self-titled album.
One good example of the funk sounds on this album is “Sass Girl.” The bass line drives the song that also features some percussion that brings some Afrobeat to the song. You can also hear some funk influence in “I Know I”, although the overall feel of the song is psychedelic. This song feels heavily influenced by Funkadelic.
The album begins with “Poison.” The spacey vocals and the guitar bring some heavy psychedelia to the song while the melody feels like a dance-club hit. “Voice of the Mountain” is similarly constructed, with the backing vocals drenched in reverb while the melody is mostly blooping sounds similar to a Moog keyboard. The biggest difference between this and “Poison” is the Afrobeat rhythm that propels the song. Not to say that you have to be in an altered state to appreciate it, but it certainly would be well received in a venue where people are in an altered state.
From one song to the next, you don’t really know what you’re getting, and that’s what makes this an exciting album. “Sass Girl” sounds like the convergence of A Northern State with psychedelic soul. “No Difference” and “Mess Around” both have a garage-soul feel. Constant throughout the album are the rhythms that sometimes have an African feel and sometimes have more of a garage-punk sound.
With the thumping bass line, the organ, the horns, and the vocals, “How You Feel” sounds like a song from the Daptone Records catalog. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself moving your shoulders and your feet to this one.
This is a refreshing album because it combines such a variety of different sounds. Clearly the band has a lot of influences, and the members incorporate them into a sound all their own.
