Whizz

Live performance review from 野豬音樂節 (Wild Boar Music Festival):
1. 心花怒放
2. Reality
3. Summer Sea
4. With the Flow
5. Let’s Keep Dancing Tonight

All that was missing was the sun. WHIZZ’s brand of shimmering guitar pop should forever appear basked in the nostalgic summery glow of freshly cut grass, young love, ripe hormones and sepia-tinged sunsets – and the fact the sun couldn’t get itself together to peek from behind the cosy clouds in time made it the biggest (and hottest) party pooper of all time.

Staged a few days after International Women’s Day, the organisers of Wild Boar might have figured it was important to have an all-girl band on the bill, but WHIZZ (reckless capitalisation optional) really don’t need to rely on regressive tokenism to get ahead. The quartet’s hummable hooks, inexhaustible optimism and road-tested live delivery are more than enough to put them towards the heart of Hong Kong’s indie-schmindie scene – indeed the outfit has already represented the city at a festival in Taiwan and bagged a slot on a US band competition.
At the quartet’s core is the contrasting/complimentary guitar sonics of two frontline players – at times it felt like the whole set might have served as a Fender advert, lead guitarist Moo’s twangy, trebly lead lines the foil to frontwoman YuShan Wong’s block-sized strummed barre chords – all crystalline, glistening with that clean all-American shimmer only one guitar-maker can lay claim to (cough, this is not a paid endorsement).

After the breezy, beachy opener 心花怒放 – the sole Cantonese-language number, an arresting smokescreen of ringing suspended chords and shifting rhythms more clever than they sounded – followed the grungier, autumnal Reality, a patch of shade amid the lazy haze, which brought out a darker, lower delivery from Wong’s otherwise effervescent vocals. Dressed in a long white dress, the lead singer’s quiet composure but commanding vocal performance could be what sets them apart from the average guitar-pop band’s more typically maudlin, self-reflective milieu.
The set peaked midway with the irresistible debut composition Summer Sea – less than a year old, too – the uncomplicated, open-hearted, arena-sized chorus tune balanced by a nodding disco-lite groove that was just the right side of the cool/kitsch divide, deftly delivered by bassist Bowie Ling and drummer Jess Leung.

Deeper, slower R&B moods drove set closer Let’s Keep Dancing Tonight, a smouldering, lust-laden imploration to a potential suitor which perhaps possesses a shade more than a passing resemblance to Whitney Houston’s I’m Your Baby Tonight. Whatever, the arrangement is remarkably assured, perked by sensual stop-start stabs, an intimate spoken word segment and an early breakdown chorus. Thankfully the cheesy, sax-by-numbers solo that bogs down the studio recording didn’t make it to this road version. Indeed – the conspicuous use of keyboard and guitar backing tracks might already be enough to annoy some purists, and frankly a few rougher edges might not hurt Whizz’s live sound if their true target is indie credibility rather than anonymous ubiquity.

Unfazed by some further technical difficulties, WHIZZ’s wide-eyed cheeriness seemed limitless – the sugary “la-la-la” intro/refrain of 80s-tinged pop singalong With the Flow almost too much for anyone who woke up on the wrong side of bed that day – but a few glimmers of fragility poked their way through the mist. Or should that be strains of cirrus cloud occasionally blocked the onslaught of summery rays? (Oh, sun, where were you?). What the hey, there’s too much downbeat music in the world already, but one does wonder why the slower, brooding new single Sorrowful didn’t find a space in this sun-kissed set.

With such a solid songbook already in evidence – and three pro-shot MVs in the bag to present it in – it’s little surprise how much WHIZZ have achieved in the less than two years on the scene. The next two years will surely offer far greater opportunities, and challenges, but true to their name, it seems certain WHIZZ are going places fast.
-RG


Live review from Girls with Guitars #10

 

1. Summer Sea
2. Reality
3. With The Flow
4. Sorrowful
5. Let’s Keep Dancing Tonight

樂隊整體風格鮮明,表演似乎非常熟練熟手。Summer Sea和With the flow帶有青春、夏日和輕鬆舒適的感覺,哼奏部份旋律簡單入腦,樂隊彼此之間的配合都不錯,歌與歌之間既有分別又能帶出樂隊的特色。但聽到後半部份,表演竟然有種機械式的感覺,感受不到一絲隨性,感受不到音樂為她們帶來了甚麼喜悅。也許比起追求完美的演出,嘗試真正擁抱liveshow可使樂隊走得更遠。
– 傑仔
From the beginning of indie pop opener Summer Sea, it was clear that Whizz had something special about them. With bright guitar solos, bouncy, effervescent rhythms, the quartet proved themselves a cut above in terms of musical skill. With jaunty beats and bright melodies, the group tipped their hat musically to Hong Kong indie pop kings Phoon – and brought all of the same chemistry and stage presence.

Second song Reality had a flavour of No Doubt about it, with strong vocal hooks, while With the Flow (a song about going swimming for the first time) had jazzy overtones and was sunny and uplifting with a clap-along section. Each member was fun and interesting to watch and, together, they formed a tight and extremely well-rehearsed unit.

Until penultimate song Sorrowful, the set had been a bit “indie band by numbers”, with few moments of vulnerability beneath their glossy sheen. However, this song brought a touch of grit to an otherwise pristine performance, changing from groovy pop to a more soulful sound. With lyrics about mental health and opening up to others, the song paired lush bass melodies with shimmering guitar, building to a loud and impactful climax.

Closer Let’s Keep Dancing Tonight brought back the optimism and ensured Whizz’s set finished on a high, with rolling drums. The drummer took over singing responsibilities; her sweet vocals belied power and emotion. Whizz seemed to come out of nowhere fully formed to perform at Girls with Guitars. This certainly won’t be the last we see of them.
– El Jay

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Performances by Whizz: