WU LYF - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
WU LYF - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain (L Y F, 2011)
The hype and mystery in which WU LYF are shrouded is old hat, this year is full of it, and they certainly have a Residents like vibe to them. But unlike The Weeknd who built mystique by shying away from attention and publicity, WU LYF seem to use every trick in the book to attract it, then give it the boot. The difference here is that The Weeknd use mystique as a defence mechanism whilst WU LYF generate it through all out attack. But what's left in both circumstances is an album, music, a set of songs and in each case that is something that demands to be judged objectively. It's testament to our post-modern, post-structuralist ideals in the analysis of art and music in the 21st century that we can't divorce the hype from the reality, the style from the substance, but it's also a trap for young players. And it's sad to see that every review of this disc starts off with opening paragraphs... like this one.
And it's that impossible to separate. You gotta keep em separated, but one can't, and WU LYF will make a ton of money in the process. Because the other key difference between The Weeknd and WU LYF is that WU LYF are from the UK, the awesome banner and bastion of all things scandalous and suspect, and there's nothing more scandalous than an artist in 2011 telling the press to shove it.
So what about the music?
World Unite! Lucifer Youth Foundation are offbeat and leftfield, but they have plenty of mainstream influences. Opening track L Y F wouldn't sound completely out of place on an Arcade Fire album, their instrumentation sounds reminiscent of some post-rock instrumental bands like Explosions in the Sky or GYBE. These guys have hooks. Their vocalist mumbles incomprehensibly but enjoyably, with a growl followers and fans can get behind. All in all it's an immediate album, part desperate and pleading, part fun and care free, but never utterly shallow, nor remotely mediocre or amateur.
And I guess that's what has to happen when a band has built a mountain of hype around it like WU LYF have done. Sink or swim, and this disc is swimming with energy, emotion and some stellar craft. The album was produced in an abandoned church, most likely to add a little more indie cred to their CV, but it also generates a sparse quality to the sound, lonely and strangely intimate, and a Sunday morning post-apocalyptic crunch that permeates down the track list. The percussion on Cave Song is huge, a campfire cult anthem brimming with punch. Summa's Bliss is just so very colourful, chilled out and tender, with guitar lines recalling Les Savy Fav. We Bros would easily fit on a Wolf Parade disc. So I suppose that makes these guys multifarious in their influences, but that doesn't mean they don't have a unique identity. Dirt is essentially the mega single, and it sounds like all of the above but also a lot more, fiery lyrically ("Go tell fire") and musically, with sharp guitar licks and virtuosic drum rolls. "No matter what they said, dollar is not your friend" is the kind of lyric kids can rally around. Heavy Pop finishes the record off ala TV on the Radio’s "Lover's Day" or Radiohead’s "The Tourist". Soft but purposeful: a triumphant note that leaves a pleasant taste.
It's not perfect. It goes out of its way not to be; the messy, lo-fi indie vibe, the repetitive tribal quality. It is actually instantly likable, but loving it might take more than the requisite three listens. I dare say it's worth it if you can get on to their wavelength. Pitchfork is right, WU LYF is for the kids, and they've got plenty of Trix up their sleeves to amuse them.
8.8/10