After trying (and failing) to see Warm Filaments several times, I finally caught them at an early show at Mohawk Place on Friday. I'd seen videos from some of their shows on YouTube and sensed there was something special about them. Their live show proved my intuition right.
Warm Filaments are Al Griffin (drums), Paul Endres (guitar, vocals) and Beth Lewitzky (bass, vocals). They play rock music that's smarter than average. Al's drumming is impeccable: on the straight 4/4 songs, he livens it with tasteful snare rolls and well-placed floor tom. On the artier songs like 'Otherside', Al shines. An off-kilter beat that starts the song that abruptly changes to a more familiar pattern, switching back and forth throughout the song. More sophisticated than muscular, it works without being gimmicky.
To my ear, Paul's guitar work is at its best on songs where he lays back on rhythm guitar and creates space for the bass and drum interplay. Simultaneously sparse and rich, his sound is a refreshing respite from the too-dominant, heavy-handed guitar I've encountered in many local bands. I hear a touch of Will Sargent in Paul's technique, especially when he turns on the tremelo but more notably in his lead guitar work.
Beth sings and plays bass. If she only played 1-3-5 bass, this wouldn't be notable. Her bass playing includes the familiar bass role with hints of Peter Hook and Jean-Jacques Burnel. She and Paul share lead parts, trading parts during and across songs. It's a refreshing change of pace.
It's challenging to create a rich interesting song space with only three instruments. The easy way is to fill the sonic space with a wall of sound. Warm Filaments excel in taking the opposite tack, giving songs room to breathe and space for interplay between the three instruments to be appreciated.
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