Wasabi Fire Alarm – “Two Fingers In A V”
Wasabi Fire Alarm – “Two Fingers In A V” – Single Review
Not in a million years would you see this coming…
I have been hooked on this from the moment I heard it and saw the video for the first time. The free-spirit that truly resides within music expresses itself in-full through a band like Wasabi Fire Alarm – this crew might not even be aware of just how many points of accessibility there are in this song and how many levels it could potentially appeal to the people out there for. I mean they could be…but there’s like…a million or so…my math could be off a little…even I had a hard time adding them all up. But for real…no matter how many pathways into their music you can find, we can at least all agree this is rad right?
First of all, take the music…
Wasabi Fire Alarm creates a killer trip-hop vibe with real edge to it. Drawing on elements of funk, metal, indie, pop, rock…you gotta hand it to this band for being able to incorporate so many different styles in what sounds like it just comes naturally to them…it’s stylistic, cool, theatrical at times, full of attitude in others. Lead-singer Sue Egypt isn’t afraid to express whatever’s on her mind, she’s got technique and she’s got something to say – I think she does a terrific job adding that contrasting brightness to the song through the tone of her voice, which works really well with the surrounding crunch of the guitars from Neil, strong bass from Al, and pounding beats from drummer Mike. I’ll say this…they’ve got a real asset in Sue’s voice with the angelic & graceful sound it has…it’s powerful enough to break through the mix at a lower volume, which would definitely make the music pop & stand-out a bit more…which ultimately, I think would probably benefit the band overall. No harm in making that music come alive with a bit more definition if the potential is there to do so, and Sue’s vocals will always find a way to our ears, whether it’s by the powerful notes she sings or by the character she has in the attitude she sings with. But in terms of structure, ideas, and performances…I think that Wasabi Fire Alarm are stumbling into something great here…an artistically-inclined band with real style & edge to its sound, limitless potential & endless possibilities.
And then, there’s the video…
Freakin’ brilliant! In my opinion, it’s a video you can genuinely consider to be art, much like the music itself, making it a perfect complement and combination overall. Consider what you’re looking at…essentially, it’s well-shot for sure and the location-scout needs a high five…but aside from the occasional mask or two, they’re using what’s available to them and around them every day – the real trick here is in HOW they’ve gone about making the ordinary extraordinary. Certainly those masks help liven-up the shots in their own bizarre way…and a lot of the impressive angles that are shot lead the visuals in the right direction, making what’s onscreen entertaining through clever camera setups, like when you see shadowy figures lean right into it from overtop or when they begin to boot-stomp the camera…that kind of creative shooting. You add in the incredible way they’ve layered this together with the additional hand-signals…and believe me, you’ve got something completely worth watching. You might not think that a hand being a featured part of a video would become such a key element, but quite honestly, it’s genius-level cool…it adds so much personality, like moments where it flips us all the bird…it should make you laugh out loud just as much as it helps to illustrate the message in the lyrics. The black & white scenes with Sue and just a splash of color…I mean c’mon people…you GOTTA love the look to all this! I know I got sucked into watching the Sin City sequel for the same damn reasons at the end of the day, it’s just stylistically awesome to look at stuff…and I felt like Wasabi Fire Alarm used this type of onscreen art to their advantage on the video for “Two Fingers In A V.”
A couple more reasons to dig this…
Look…ultimately, I think Wasabi Fire Alarm could be onto something that goes on to be extremely rad over time and certainly rewarding to be a part of as a musician/artist…and I think art like this is bound to experience many moments of victory & triumph along the way, just as much as it might reach too far at times with its ambitious intent. The more room that Sue has, the more those hooks sink in and her vocals shine…like, she’s spectacular in the chorus; I don’t mind the more up-tempo/nearly spoken-word parts in the writing, but the more space she had to express seemed to lead to the parts that made the most impact. Real credit to whichever of these fine maniacs were screaming their face off in the background of the chorus as well…honestly, it’s completely bad-ass, spot-on in its bone-crushing intensity, but most importantly tone as well. Anyone can scream, but it takes attention to detail to find the right sound to really match the vibe, and Wasabi Fire Alarm has definitely done that here perfectly. Lyrically, it’s focused, cohesive, has something to say, and says it all courageously, pointing out many of the flaws in our society & culture, and also highlighting the strength to push past the seemingly never-ending judgmental ways of the world. By the end, “Two Fingers In A V” reveals its most empowering lyrics and sound, transitioning from its more observational approach at the beginning and raging into an inspired conclusion that takes the weight of the words and emotions to the next-level in lyrics that boldly reflect how they’re willing to do their own thing at whatever the cost. There’s no point in being another carbon-copy in a world full of limitless potential…and I think it’s clear from the video, song, lyrics, & sound from Wasabi Fire Alarm that they’re not afraid to blaze their own trail – much respect.
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