Formed in London just over a year ago by Israeli born
singer/guitarist Nikki Maoz, Whirl merge pop sensibility with sheer quirkiness. With a sound somewhere between the 4AD
bands of the early 80s and daytime commercial radio pop, Whirl's sound is a refreshing Frankenstein of parts. And this is not a
bad thing. Imagine Hanson growing up in the early 80s listening to Sioxie and the Banshees. Picture the Cranberries being
die-hard Ofra Haza fans or Alanis Morissette embracing the entire back catalogue of the Sisters of Mercy and you will get the
general idea. Neo Gothic Pop? Ethereal Commercial Rock? Whatever you decide to call it, the four member group can
certainly give their flangers and delays a severe thrashing on stage.
Playing to a painfully small number of people at Camden's
Underworld club (our capital city's live scene appears to be non-existent as of late), Whirl kicked off their short set with
'Reborn'. Plagued initially by a rather muddy sound on stage, Nikki Maoz's middle eastern infused vocals only began to cut
through the swirling guitars and rhythm section half way through the track.
The band carve an interesting image on-stage. Cambridge law graduate Nikki,
with her luxuriant ringlets and sparkle enhanced make-up, resembles a distant cousin of Marc Bolan while guitarist Julian Emery
could easily pass for Graham Coxon's younger brother. Drummer Mike Grocoh recalls a young Brit Pop influenced Robert Downey Jnr.
while Bassist Ed Pearson, with his Nordic colouring, adds folicular variety to the line-up.
With an empty dance floor in front of them, Whirl performed 'Knocked Down' which was easily the group's most
commercial track of the evening. The band knew this track so well that bassist Ed Pearson managed to perform the entire song
with his shades only halfway on. 'Get Up', a track about evil people, featured guitar effects that would make The Cure envious
and some excellent harmonies and counter melodies. After unsuccessfully urging the small audience onto the dance floor, Nikki
dedicated 'The Test' to a friend called Patrick. Recalling a hybrid of The Sundays and Sheryl Crow, this was one the group's
most subdued tracks of the set. Whirl picked up the pace with 'My Two Cents', a song about Nikki's "own personal religion".
A tour-de-force of the band's eclectic range of influences, 'My Two Cents' showcased Nikki Maoz's vast vocal range while the
band went into a minor-chord pulsating overdrive. The fast tempo 'Hard Enough', saw Nikki eschew her guitar for the first time
during the set. Although appearing to be unsure of what do with her hands initially, Nikki was virtually pogoing and belting
simultaneously by the first chorus. With a tempo and bassline that recalled early Iron Maiden, Nikki's sultry vocals prevented
'Hard Enough' from sounding like a revival of the 'New Wave of British Heavy Metal'. Due to the Underworld's Nazi-esque
time constraints, the band had to cut their set short quite unexpectedly. So much so that Nikki forgot to grab her guitar for the
first few bars of their final song for the evening - 'Closing Doors'. Featuring wah-wah mayhem and tempo changes that recalled
Radiohead, 'Closing Doors' left this reviewer wanting to hear more.
Playing to empty venues is a disheartening experience but
Whirl managed to pull the gig off as though the Underworld was fully packed. In both appearance and sound, Whirl combine
an innumerable amount of incongruous elements in a surprisingly harmonious way.
