WU LYF: Go Tell Fire To The Mountain

WU LYF
Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
Rating: Woof Daddy

In this Internet age where you can find out basically everything about anything or anyone, it is a bit refreshing when something maintains a bit of mystery. WU LYF (or World Unite/Lucifer Youth Foundation) is a gang of Mancunians who don't have a Facebook/MySpace/Bandcamp/Twitter/Tumblr page, and not much is known about them other than their live shows are practically legendary (selling out before the band had even properly released any music), they famously ignored phone calls from famous directors to work with them, and have refused to work with major labels, choosing instead to record the album in an abandoned church and self-releasing the record on their own. Whether all of this behavior is truly meant to be a way of life, or just a PR stunt, remains to be seen, but, as I am fond of saying, at the end, all that matters is the music. Go Tell Fire To The Mountain doesn't reinvent the wheel per se, as some UK critics have pontificated, but is a stirring collection of songs drawing from many disparate sources (early U2, Sigur Ros, post-punk, post-rock, etc.), but bound together by a rich solemnity and vocalist Ellery Roberts' bizarre warble, which will either intoxicate you or make you run for the hills.

WU LYF's sound can be defined by the centerpiece to the album "We Bros," a combination of interlocking, chiming guitars, uplifting drums, and haunting organ drones, and of course, Roberts' guttural howls and grunts. It is a truly magical, uplifting moment, with some great lyrics.



The choice to use a church to record the album is very key to the sound they are trying to achieve. There is a lot of grand space going on here, it feels expansive and large. On "Spitting Blood" the mid-section of the song drops out and the organ echoes and folds in on itself, until the band kicks it all into gear again.



First single "Heavy Pop" is a odd choice, but is another calling card for the band. Over 2 minutes of intro piano and organ lead into deep drum rolls, soaring guitar chimes, leading to an anthem closer.



The record is not as overly esoteric as I make it out to be. There are plenty of pure pop moments in between the more dramatic pieces. "Cave Song" has a tight, driving rhythm section and great melody.



"Summas Bliss" is spritely and charging, the bass anchoring the chiming guitars and skittering drums.



Of course, I am always drawn to the more edgy tracks. The dark, gloomy guitars of "Concrete Gold,"



the ghostly drones and booming drums of "14 Crowns For Me & Your Friends,"
which gel into a gorgeous anthem,



or the striking, organ-led ballad "Such A Sad Puppy Dog."



For the past couple of years, there have been some really great records released, but there was/were no band(s) that really got me sitting up and excited about where music was going. In the past couple of months, bands like Iceage, Wild Beasts, and Arrange have struck a chord, putting out some amazing new music. Not that any of these bands are creating anything "new" but are boldly setting out on their own paths, making music for themselves and not for any focus group or corporation. Go Tell Fire To The Mountain is by far one of the most exciting debuts to be released in years.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.