The Fool by Warpaint

a debut album that altered my brain chemistry 4ever

in my most recent subscribers-only posts, there was a recurrence of the Fool card appearing during the monthly collective card readings. as this card is the first in the major arcana, it represents new beginnings, naïveté, starting over, being spontaneous (you get the point).

this led me to revisit The Fool, the 2010 debut album by one of my favorite bands, Warpaint. The Fool was originally released on this day (10/25) 13 years ago.

if i can recall correctly, i would have likely seen the music video for the band’s hit single “Undertow” on MTVU one day while getting ready for school.¹ this would prompt me to look further into the all-girl psych-rock band from California. the members are Emily Kokal, Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg, and Stella Mozgawa.

i bought their CD at Best Buy not too long after it was released. what i love about Warpaint is the effortless way that they blend genres. their music is just as dream pop as it’s trip-hop, as lucid as it is trippy.

there’s a palpable lustfulness and angst in Warpaint’s sound, that’s balanced out by the gentleness in their vocal tones. their lyrics are poetic and soul-baring in a way that nearly feels invasive, like they are singing from your journal and their own. at times, it’s like simultaneously reliving all of the most humbling and empowering parts of girlhood. the youth and innocence of the Fool card is understood through the young love in the “Undertow” video and mirrored in lyrics like the ones below:

“Why you wanna blame me for your troubles?
Ah, ah, ah, you better learn your lesson yourself
Nobody ever has to find out what's in my mind tonight”

of course, “Undertow” is a standout. but so is the album opener “Set Your Arms Down”, as well as the lovelorn lullaby “Baby.” and who can ignore the refrain that opens “Composure” or the witchy build-up in “Bees” that results in lush vocal harmonies and chanting? while these are my personal favorites, each song on this album has its own beautiful and haunting charm, a haze accented by the intoxicating layers of guitar-strumming and anticipatory drumming.

13 years on, i’m listening to The Fool in a renewed way and reflecting on how this album set the tone for Warpaint’s subsequent discography. every album since The Fool has been just as endearing and genre-defying, showcasing the band’s wealth of inspiration.

i’ve seen Warpaint live during their tour for the 2016 album Heads Up. what’s very apparent is just how much they enjoy making and playing music together. i hope they continue to do so for many years to come!

whether this is your first time hearing of Warpaint or a friendly reminder, i’d recommend adding The Fool into your rotation this season — it’s an ideal fall album. i’d also recommend checking out the band members’ solo projects: Jenny Lee Lindberg makes music under the moniker jennylee and Theresa Wayman goes by TT.²

1. a lot of my best music memories begin this way.

2. i was today years old when i learned that jennylee put out a new album in 2022. i know what i’ll be listening to this afternoon.