With a tenure of just a few years, North Carolina’s Whoop has already evolved from a band running through weekly barn jams in Raleigh to an outfit capable of divining connections between a dozen different genres. Their 2021 self-titled debut hinted at this melding of aesthetics, bringing together a wide spectrum of influences and musical affections, but the band had plans to stretch even further in their desire to adapt as many sounds as possible. Elements of punk, indie rock, pop, reggae, funk, and jazz are dismantled and reassembled into something that reflected the various rhythmic histories of each band member.
Home to singer Fal, guitarist-producer Steve Bigas, bassist Nick Clarke, and drummer Will Perrone, the band is gearing up for the release of their sophomore album, Just What?, a deep dive into their collective talents for genre-blurring. Due out April 7 on Porcelain Records, the album is a reminder that music can energize and upset convention – it can embrace risk and imprint itself on your subconscious.
“Music is supposed to bring people together, shake things up, cause a ruckus, and make a mark,” explains Fal. “I always want Whoop to leave a lasting impression in someone’s mind/heart/ears.”
And they’ve certainly done that one new single, “Cherry Cola”, a rollicking bit of funk and rock that’ll have you up dancing before the band hits the 30-second mark. The guitars crunch while the drums lay down a tight boogie recalling the antecedental primitivism of Jerry Lee Lewis or Pinetop Perkins, with the amplitude ratcheted up to 11. Fal’s voice is fierce, volatile, and tears into your heart with the force of a hurricane. There’s a bluesy swagger here that permeates the whole track, evincing a kind of middle finger condemnation toward the source of recent heartache. The track also contains echoes of The White Stripes’ anthemic rock tenaciousness as well as exhibiting melodically-skewed punk-funk impulses that might result if Wire ever found themselves sharing a stage with Rich Kids and covering Cymande.
Listen to the song below.
Whoop’s new album, Just What?, is due out April 7 via Porcelain Records. You can follow the band on Facebook and Instagram.
