Review of Woes
By Chee An Lyn
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For those of us who juggled numbers and struggled with mathematics in school, avoiding the subject in all its forms seems almost instinctual now. This was true for me until I stumbled upon the music genre of math-rock that homegrown band Woes so brilliantly showcased last Saturday night.
The five-piece indie and math-rock band played their one-night-only gig at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre on Jan 23, beginning their first half-hour set at 8 pm and returning for a second at 9.15 pm.
The mini-concert drew a crowd of about a hundred. Clad in vintage band tees, alternative streetwear and newsboy caps, audience members were mostly music fanatics in their teens and 20s. Limited seating had spectators standing outside the barricade of the theatre, socially distanced in keeping with the latest Covid restrictions, eagerly anticipating the performance nonetheless.
Woes began as a humble solo project by Russell Seow (bass) which later evolved into a full-fledged band upon recruitment of Raizel Gonzales (vocals), Alex Calaunan (guitar), Aloysius Au (guitar) and Khoo Shen En (drums).
The young ensemble takes inspiration from international bands like Elephant Gym, Jyocho and American Football while injecting their own perspectives into their lyrics and melodies.
For those unfamiliar with the genre, math-rock is typified by its rhythmic complexity and is distinguished by its mathematical-like character. A math rock melody can be most accurately described as a series of oscillating waves with various high and low points across its duration.
The band opened with what felt like a whirlwind of guitar riffs from “Bikini Bottom”, the first of five songs on their setlist, which instantaneously reeled the audience in.
The opening number was kept in time by Khoo’s steady beats and perfectly coordinated cymbal clashes while Seow delivered a bassline comparable to a soothing heartbeat. Calaunan and Au delivered a sequence of upbeat strumming and twinkly guitar lines, which was enough to leave one in a trance-like state. Then, as if on cue, Gonzales came in with her smooth and jazzy alto, completing the aural blend that is Woes.
There was commendable coordination between the young musicians. Melody, harmony, rhythm, beats, all working together, neither of them dominating over the others. Woes’ music was not a single voice to be heard, but rather an intricate conversation that unfolded over Marina Bay.
The five-piece band delved deep into the rest of their set with such deep focus that they seemed to be pulled out of their surroundings, only coming back to reality once the last note hung in the air.
Woes’ sound is reminiscent of the jazzy tunes and indie rock of John Mayer. At the same time, their music is innocent and mischievous enough to be the soundtrack to a coming-of-age movie.
Fluid, spontaneous and calculated at the same time, the band’s compositions share a commonality of complicated instrumental riffs, earning them a well-deserved spot amongst other skilled math rock musicians.
Like many young indie artists, Woes uses music as a channel to reminisce about life and express daily struggles. Their lyrics—juxtaposed against their upbeat melodies—weave stories of escapism and sorrow, expressing dread for having to “wake up and face the world”. This was most clearly manifested in their third song “Tadpole” which tumbles into organised chaos, similar to the riffs in rock band Giraffe? Giraffes!’s “A Quick One, While She’s Away”.
Despite the musical cohesion, Woes seemed rather disconnected from each other on stage.
Each musician seemed to emanate different energy. Khoo was consistent in his drumming, never missing a beat with his laser-like focus. Calaunan and Au wove through complicated guitar riffs with an effortless dexterity, Au’s fingers becoming a blur over his strings during the upbeat instrumentals. Meanwhile, Seow, who was truly entertaining to watch, swayed and bobbed his head along to his bass like a true rockstar.
The most disappointing stage presence came from the lead vocalist herself. As talented of a singer as Gonzales is with her smooth and sultry croons, her lack of charisma dulled her performance. For practically the entire set, Gonzales remained rigid, her body language emulating that of a shy school girl instead of a performer entertaining a Saturday night crowd by Marina Bay.
That is not to say that we expect her to prance about on stage like Paramore’s Hayley Williams or crawl on all fours like Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner. However, a little more movement and audience acknowledgement would have breathed more life into the performance.
Also, Gonzales seemed to have poor control over the volume at which she sang into the mic, occasionally coming in too strong and overpowering the instrumentals. Most baffling was when she took a swig of water midway through “Tadpole” and pulled out a lyric sheet to read off of, coming off unrehearsed at best and unprofessional at worst.
In between songs, Au attempted to entertain the audience, who met each song with euphoric whistles and whoots of support. Unfortunately, his awkward interaction was limited to random declarations of love to friends and feeble “jokes” that were more depressing than funny.
Halfway through their fourth song, “Monkey Tennis”, Au encouraged the crowd to clap along. This fizzled out almost as soon as it began, perhaps due to it’s math-y rhythm that was too complicated to follow.
Another misstep of the bands’ was their failure to introduce themselves and their songs. This made it difficult to differentiate between the tunes, which were already so similar in style.
At the end of their set, the band bid goodbye to their onlookers with ”For Damien Carter”, which slowly picked up in tempo as it flowed through the cool evening surrounding Esplanade.
The atmospheric quality of Woes’ performance is impossible to replicate through music streaming apps or be heard through Airpods. It served as a reminder to the audience about the joy and enchantment of witnessing live music, which many of us had forgotten about amid the pandemic.
Although their stage presence allowed much room for improvement, it is undeniable that the musicians shook the ground of the Outdoor Theatre that night. Young talents like this five-piece ignite hope for the local music industry, and it would be fascinating to see where their journey takes them. Listening to their last song, I conceded: perhaps math isn’t so bad after all.