WARMDUSCHER
Too Cold To Hold STRAP ORIGINALS
London reprobates’ fifth offers fresh perspectives, with guests.
By Sharon O’Connell
Warmduscher: part Beastie Boys, part Beasts Of Bourbon
FELIPE PAGANI
7/10
LONG before the release of their debut album Khaki Tears in 2015, Warmduscher had won notoriety on the south London post-punk scene through the pumped, party-ready abandon of their (largely improvised) live sets, their ludicrous aliases – The Witherer, Quicksand and Mr Salt Fingers Lovecraft among them – and their decidedly grubby mien with its deliberately low-rent, showbiz veneer. Most bands gather a kind of ambient identity along the way but Warmduscher arrived with theirs fully formed: that their lineup at the time included Fat White Family’s Jack Everett and Saul Adamczewski (said band’s Adam Harmer now serves) is significant.
Their enthusiasm for modern rock’n’roll sleaze and embracing of chaos à la Butthole Surfers and Royal Trux, with respect paid to Little Richard and Funkadelic, has been exercised across four albums. Now, Too Cold To Hold pulls a significant and convincing shapeshift, without cutting their identity off at the knees.
It sees the band making some practical changes: having previously worked with producers Dan Carey and the Hot Chip team of Al Doyle/Joe Goddard, they installed bassist Ben Romans Hopcraft in the chair, alongside Jamie Neville. They also found a new home, on Peter Doherty’s label. The change runs deeper than that, though: at times Warmduscher’s wild and irreverent nature has worked against them, mixing messages about taking themselves seriously (they very much don’t) with taking their music seriously (they absolutely do). Now, the observational humour of singer Craig Higgins (aka Clams Baker Jr) takes on a darker, more reflective tone and their musical focus is sharper, on beats and bass. To their essential stew of punk funk, electro, disco pop and lounge soul, they’ve added notes of hip-hop, gqom, jazz and film scores, plus plenty of percussion, letting the whole simmer and reduce, rather than boil.
SLEEVE NOTES
1 An Introduction By Irvine Welsh
2 Fashion Week
3 Pure At The Heart
4 Top Shelf
5 Body Shock
6 Cleopatras
7 Immaculate Deception
8 Out Of Body
9 Staying Alive
10 Too Cold To Hold
11 Weeds In The Garden
Produced by: Ben Romans Hopcraft, Jamie Neville Recorded at: Narcissus Studio, London Personnel: Craig Higgins (vocals), Adam Harmer (guitar), Ben Romans Hopcraft (bass, clarinet), Bleu Ottis (drums), Marley Mackey (keyboard, piano, vibraphone), Quinn Whalley (synth), Robin Hopcraft (trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone), Martin Slattery (saxophone, clarinet), Sigbjorn Ringvold (tuba), Coucou Chloe, Jeshi, Lianne La Havas, Janet Planet (vocals)