New York – Wardell threw a party to commemorate the release of their self-released debut album Love/Idleness, which came out this week. The show had a warm, celebratory atmosphere, with many people in the sold-out crowd seemingly friends of the band. It was the early show at Mercury Lounge, and Wardell took the stage at 8P, which left plenty of time for post-show revelry. The mood was light, the banter was goofy (“have you guys seen the podcast Serial?”), and the tunes were pleasant.
Wardell is a brother/sister duo consisting of Theo and Sasha Spielberg (their father is Steven, director of films you may have seen). Theo plays guitar and Sasha sings. Live, they expand to a quintet with bass, piano, and drums. Genre-wise, they’re not easy to pin down; Wikipedia categorizes them as indie-folk, but that isn’t quite right, as it leaves out the soul and pop influences that make up a big part of their sound. I would call the music a modern take on “yacht rock,” an affectionate term for smooth, Californian 70s soft rock. Much of what Wardell does is reminiscent of HAIM, with whom they share management.
If Sasha Spielberg parted her hair in the center, she could be mistaken for one of the HAIM sisters. She has the same sort of awkward-cool LA-girl vibe. Her voice is a little thin, but it’s convivial and melodic. She plays to her strengths, favoring short syllables with a lot of melismatic movement. Her physicality is charmingly unstudied, all shoulder bounces and hair twirls and Lorde-esque T-rex arms. She wore a gray double-breasted blazer dress and lacy black tights that made her legs look tattooed.
Theo wore a beanie in the oppressively hot room until he finally took it off during the sixth song. He’s the band’s energetic leader, bounding around the stage and directing the other players. He never upstages his sister, but he presents another focal point for attention.
The crowd was into it the whole way through, “woo!”-ing between songs and singing along to songs from the just-released album and their 2013 EP Brother/Sister. Highlights included the single “Funny Thing” and their breakout song “Opossum.” Some folks called for an encore, but Wardell, to their credit, didn’t grant it.
There is skepticism around Wardell, with critics who say that they’re only succeeding because of their industry connections. While they wouldn’t be signed to Roc Nation if they didn’t have such a famous name, they are definitely talented enough to headline the early show at Mercury Lounge on their own merits. They probably stay in nicer hotels than the average indie-folk bar band, but other than that, they seem like they could succeed on the strength of their songs. They’re not amateurs; Wardell has genuine fans: people in the crowd knew every word.
Wardell will be on tour with Milo Greene 2/26-3/15. Their new album Love/Idleness is available on Amazon and iTunes.
Photos of Wardell by Carina Contreras
Liam Mathews
Latest posts by Liam Mathews (see all)
- Nadine Shah In PJ Harvey’s Shadow; Not a Bad Thing - April 3, 2015
- Jack Ladder & the Dreamlanders Bring Australian Style To Brooklyn - April 1, 2015
- Liturgy Test The Faithful With ‘The Ark Work’ - March 25, 2015
