Why? w/ The Dead Science, Munch Munch – Scala, London 04/11/08

-
Photographs by Ama Chana

Why?’s stock has certainly grown over the last few months. Barely six months ago they were almost unknown to all but the most on-the-ball hipsters and established Anticon fans but the word-of-mouth success of third LP Alopecia has seen their fanbase expand enough to sell out the thousand-capacity London Scala. And for the most part, the indie hip-hoppers deserve the acclaim afforded to them- their engaging mix of breezy indie-rock melodies and dark, often rapped lyrics are done full justice by a unit of immensely talented musicians despite the occasional minor misstep.

But first, a quick word about the supports. First set came courtesy of the UK’s Munch Munch, a band recommended to me by several people in the past. On this showing, the acclaim is perhaps a tad overstated- they’re your typical Shoreditch mob, with some nifty percussion lines, sqwarked Day-Glo vocals and some quality synths but alas, no apparent songs to hang them off. They had some promising moments, but to be honest bands like this are ten-a-penny on the London support band circuit. As for The Dead Science, who followed them…well, the best I can say for them is that their drummer was pretty good. The avant-garde Brooklyn three-piece struggled manfully through a set largely ignored by an indifferent, talkative audience and hindered by a vocal-drowning mix but their difficult, angular meanderings simply lacked much to commend them. Plus, lead singer Sam Mickens seemed to be wearing 16 metric tonnes of hair-gel which proved highly distracting- the logisitics of it seemed impossible and bewildering and sadly proved much more interesting than what they were actually playing.

Mercifully the star attractions avoided such off-putting stylistic decisions, leaving us able to concentrate fully on the music- and thank God for that. Main man Yoni Wolf’s abrasive monotone may be initially off-putting, but it works well in conjunction with his wryly evocative lyrics- one reviewer compared him to E from the Eels, and there’s definitely something in that. Both hitch deeply personal lyrics to incongruously upbeat (although in this case more intricate) melodies, and though Why? lack the raw emotion Eels evoke at their best, Yoni does have a gift for fantastically skewed poetry- one of my favourite lines has him describing a scene of illicit Teutonic sodomy with the eerily atmospheric line, “just the slight jingle of pocket change pulsing.” I’m not entirely sure what to make of the man himself though- he comes across as deadpan to the point of aloofness, uncomfortable with communicating with the audience although he did come out with some dry remarks about the US election taking place that night (“if the Jews and Blacks get in, I’m moving over here,” he announced, tongue firmly in bestubbled cheek.) It’s not just him though- the whole crew are generally a serious, intensely focused bunch- with the exception of bassist Austin Brown, who did admittedly spend most of the set grinning like a loon. Then again, who cares if they’re not the most chirpy group of folks you’ll ever meet- they’re all brilliant, effortlessly tight musicians that carry off the demands of Yoni’s arrangements with rare distinction. Of particular note is Yoni’s brother Josiah, whose skittish snare and vibraphone flurries form the musical backbone of the band- when he plays both instruments simultaneously with such astonishing speed and precision it’s breathtaking to behold.

Much of the setlist drawn was understandably drawn from Alopecia, although a smattering of old material provided succour for the hardcore, who seized upon these diversions with obvious glee. Indeed, I was surprised by how well the older stuff was received, the respectful if sedate audience more likely to attempt to sing along to the likes of ‘Sanddollars’ than ‘These Few Presidents’. Personally, my highlights all derived from the Alopecia stable- ‘Song Of The Sad Assassin’ was one of my personal musical highpoints of the year, delivered with note-perfect virtuosity from its hypnotic stuttered intro, via a plinky-plonky vibraphone build-up that’d make Sufjan Stevens proud, to a rousing conclusion containing some of Yoni’s most memorable lyrics. ‘The Vowels Pt. 2′ impressed with its clattering array of percussion from three-quarters of the band and during the encore, the soulful, singalong harmonies of Torpedo and Crohn’s roused even this self-conscious indie audience to indulge in a spot of restrained arm-waving.

It wasn’t all gravy though- some of the rockier numbers lacked the viscerality they should have been afforded- ‘The Hollows’ sadly lived up to its name with its ferocious staccato guitar line fizzling out lamely rather than ROCKING OUR FACES like it did at their Madame JoJo’s show earlier this year. Their lyrical sharpness is also occasionally compromised by a slightly cringeworthy, apparently unironic use of ‘gangsta’ patois- a white guy with a disarming resemblance to Rick Moranis throwing out references to “homies” can’t help but make you wince a little. And those who like their songs served with different arrangements from their recorded incarnations would find themselves disappointed here- apart from changes enforced by touring constraints, it’s for the most part played pretty straight.

But they’re at most minor quibbles- for a band that sound like they should be heavily reliant on backing tracks or other pre-recorded frippery it’s a marvel they recreated their sound so amazingly. Greater representation from debut Elephant Eyelash and a touch more volume wouldn’t have gone amiss, but having proved beyond doubt they’ve got the live chops to match their excellent back catalogue, Why? have firmly established themselves as one of my favourite musical discoveries of the year.