Concert Review: Half Waif Is A Bleeding Heart At Le Poisson Rouge

First Kelly Zutrau at National Sawdust and now Half Waif at Le Poisson Rouge, my week has been like a giant MTV Unplugged concert fest, which is exactly what every soul needs. As I awaited Half Waif to grace the stage, I grew in excitement because I knew I would be receiving a raw flash of music. Half Waif sings with the feeble beauty of a broken, yet resilient heart, which is every sad-song lover’s dream. 

Nandi Rose Plunkett sings from her wounds. Whether she lyrically heals them or not, her voice carries a crackle of hurt and perseverance that makes it seem that her heart is bleeding her music. She is not playing music, she is BLEEDING it! It flows out of her with a gush of sentiments that makes audiences want to be open and show their hurt, as well. Her musical blood rushes her heart at every sentimental chord she strikes on her keyboard. Whenever we feel a surge of emotion, we can feel it, physically, in our heart. From sadness to happiness, a pressure builds in our chest as our spirit feels filled beyond notion. Half Waif sings from that surge which is what made the concert feel so personal. You were not witnessing a singer but a woman that sings. The distinction is based in humanity. Half Waif or Ms. Plunkett sings for and in humanity.

When you hear mainstream radio it is fun and filled with bopping beats, which makes artists like Half Waif feel like a refreshing glass of water to the vast amount of soda that we all drink. Sure, we all love soda for its sugary taste and rush, but we all need water and, when we are most thirsty, there is nothing better. For me. that is what Half Waif provides as an artist; she is the musical water we all grab when we need a break from all the soda-pop.  Excuse my “parable mentality” lol! Still, Half Waif, like Shura and Weyes Blood, are rising in prominence and power because they have found a balance between sonically synthetic backdrops and truthful messages on life.

Do not get me wrong! I love pop and can girl crush on Rihanna and Miley Cyrus like anyone else. Yet, as fans, we often tussle between the love of their songs and the idea of these artists. With Half Waif, there is no images. She is a pure, bleeding heart that uses the virtual reality of her beats to reflect the very real realities of her day to day life. She sings on the struggles she has between what she wants and needs from her relationships, which on a basic level, makes her massively relatable.  Half Waif should be a spokeswoman for women’s issues with love. For however we breathe and dream in love, it could be cruel with it enactments. Luckily, Half Waif assures that the truth of her lyrics can give you solid company. For more information on Half Waif Click Here.