North Carolina quartet Whoop mix a funky motley of genres into their punk-pop creations with an impossibly irresistible effect and their latest single “The Way” is your crash course in their ecstatic ways. Although formed only a few years ago out of the talents of vocalist Fal, guitarist/producer Steve Bigas, bassist Nick Clarke, and drummer William Perrone, the band has established itself as one possessed by prolific creativity and kinetically soulful music. Releasing their self-titled debut album Whoop! back in 2021 as an introduction to their melodic tangle of jaunty and spellbinding rhythms that echo everything from indie-pop and rock to reggae and jazz/hip-hop.
“The Way” arrives as the lead single from their forthcoming sophomore album Just What? And it seemingly dials up the funk magic produced by Whoop to ravenous levels: from the brassy shouts of its horns to Fal’s soulfully vigorous vocals. You immediately get a sense of the band’s uncompromising energy and their allure for enveloping listeners in the ardent tidal waves of emotion that surge from their intricate melodies.
This is fitting given “The Way” is about just that — a song that details the ways in which we can find ourselves irrevocably intoxicated by passion. “Can’t seem to fight this feeling inside my mind,” Fal coos against howling horns that punctuate her words like exclamation points. “When you come around and the city lights are so bright / And the waves keep coming in, your skin is glistening.”
“Music is supposed to bring people together, shake things up, cause a ruckus, and make a mark,” Fal explained. “I always want Whoop to leave a lasting impression in someone’s mind/heart/ears.” One can only imagine what a live show with Whoop would be like as rapt as they sound via just their studio recordings. But no doubt they accomplish Fal’s goal every time they play — you don’t unplug from their music so easily after all. Once the groovy and unrelenting hooks of their dizzying instrumentals and rhapsodic vocals get into you it’s near impossible not to shake.
If after listening to “The Way” you’re in as desperate need of more music from this killer group of musicians as we were, then your first stop should be their sublime first album. Across those nine songs, you’ll find the band slightly raw and less polished than they are on their new single. Channeling vintage indie rock scrappiness on grumbling jam tracks like “Cool,” jumpy pop-punk with echoes of reggae within “Demons,” and dip into dreamily jazz-inflected echoes on the quiet outro “Nash Park.”
Just What? the new album from Whoop is out on Apr. 7 via Porcelain Records.
Visit Whoop on their website and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Words: Steven Ward
Listen to “The Way” the new single from Whoop below!
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