Best known for their eclectic post-punk musical style combined with a distinctive American drawl emanating from frontman Clams Baker Jr (aka Craig Higgins), Warmduscher (a name which translates literally in German to ‘warm showerer’, a derogatory term for someone who cannot handle the perils of life - I glance at myself in the mirror) have been a staple on the underground music scene of the UK for the better part of a decade.
With lyrics sometimes serving as a character study for a slew of increasingly eccentric protagonists, their sound is unpredictable, energising and darkly humorous. Their latest single, ‘Yakuza’, is no different.
Surprisingly, it is technically a reject track: it didn’t quite make it onto Warmduscher’s fifth and latest album, ‘Too Cold to Hold’, released in 2024. The band said of the decision that: “‘Yakuza’ just had this sleazy, cinematic vibe that didn’t quite fit on the album - but we knew it had to live.” So instead, released as a stand-alone single, ‘Yakuza’ is flanked by two remixes, one by David Holmes, the other by Sworn Virgins, both breathing a distinctive new life into the original.
Cinematic, as the group says, is certainly the word that springs to mind when listening to ‘Yakuza’ - with Baker Jr's gravelly vocal delivery, combined with the song's quick tempo and whining, tinny guitar chords reminiscent of a backdrop of the dusty Wild West. We appear to focus on a gunslinger-type figure, resolutely opposed to following the well-trodden path (“He’s a nail that’s sticking out / He’ll never hammer down”).
Establishing atmosphere seems to be key here, as opposed to telling a linear story, with lyrics such as: “Jet black nightmare / Sex and guns / Real quick hands / Firstborn son” setting up an elusive world of danger, excitement and drama - exactly as Warmduscher stated.
The result is a darkly invigorating track that shows Warmduscher at their best: theatrical, funny and endlessly original. Warmduscher have a number of upcoming shows in the UK, including an appearance at this year’s All Points East festival in London.