Warpaint Warpaint

If the sophomore album from LA psych-rock girl gang Warpaint sounds more atmospheric and keyboard-oriented than 2010 debut The Fool, there’s a very good reason for that: The record was co-produced by noted sonic sculptor Flood and co-mixed by Nigel Godrich, the man responsible for the dank electronic tones on Radiohead records. Warpaint conjures elements of that British band’s recent work—from skittering percussion (“Hi”) and moody jazz rhythms (“Go In”) to plangent guitar (“Biggy”)—and emphasizes texture, in the form of loping punk-funk beats (“Disco // very”), snakecharmer vocals (the unsettled “CC”) and sleepy bass (“Teese”). But while it’s seductive in an abstract sort of way, Warpaint lacks the magnetism of The Fool, specifically the kind of hypnotic grooves that add structure and cohesion to the band’s meandering arrangements. As a result, the record sounds unmoored and, worse yet, unfocused—and individually memorable songs are mostly elusive.