Warsawpack
Stocks & Bombs (2003)
Adam White
I've read so many writers stumble when trying to describe Warsawpack's
sound. It's generally not the fault of the reviewer: this is a difficult
band to categorize and they likely revel in that fact. There are moments on Stocks
& Bombs where songs seamlessly flow between rap, jazz, dub, rock and
other genres. Political hip-hop lyrics are set against a backdrop of flutes, tenor
and baritone saxophones, a solid, jazzy rhythm section, a turntable DJ and a guitarist.
Yet for all the cacophony of terms and descriptions of the band, Warsawpack is
remarkably smooth, rhythmic and cohesive.
Vocalist Lee Raback often jumps from his flowing political rap into enraged street-profit
rants (think Zach de la Rocha) and sarcastic-to-the-point-of-condescending passages
not unlike much of Jello Biafra's lyrics with the Dead Kennedys. The targets
of Raback's attacks are varied, but there is an overall theme to the record
that confronts the attitudes of post-911 Western society. The albums most biting
commentary "Pushing Hands" rallies against the Bush administration's
march to war. Lyrically the song is shockingly direct and a level above the sloganeering
most political bands utilize:
"But corporate press is complicit / In the mass slaughter of millions of
innocent women and children / And "Missed Targets" / Like big structures
with red crosses painted on top of them"
â¦
"I swear to God it might sound absurd at first / But ain't it a lot
like Nazi Germany
While plenty of hardcore acts write similar lyrics, they carry quite a different
weight when presented in a form that doesn't require a lyric sheet to decipher.
The song elaborates on this caustic argument only to follow things up with the
flute-based, playful instrumental "Wolfblitzer." Such is Stocks
& Bombs' game: coupling deep grooves and fun instrumentals with
some of the most confrontational lyrics I've seen this year from any band.
Warsawpack's politics will polarize their listeners, but at the very least
they'll spark debate. Musically the band remains one of the smartest and
most interesting groups to emerge from the Ontario indie scene in years. Do yourself
a favour and give this a few spins.