I am a championer of White Denim, so I don't know why it took me till now to say so about D. There's something about how laconic and assured White Denim can sound that is all over this latest album of theirs. They're a versatile band, a lovable band, a band that can lively-like resurrect those classic old sounds so they sound like what new bands are (and ought to be) playing. The band is mining a particular retro aesthetic that most everyone else is skipping over, and that others are failing to transform, and it feels effortless and sounds brilliant and I enjoy it very much. Glad White Denim does what they do, though, for the record, not a fan of that cover art. You're ruining the look of my artsy-fartsy blog there, WD, jeez!
White Denim Last Day of Summer
(2010, self released)
RIYL = Local Natives, Blitzen Trapper, Dungen
Summer really kind of snuck out the back door this year. All of the sudden it’s frisky cold around here, perfect sweater weather. I don’t even remember the last “official” day of summer. Fortunately, White Denim do remember. Though, this album, Last Day of Summer, which the band upped as a free download on their website, seems to have almost slipped out the back door with the summer season it so wonderfully represents. White Denim have always had a way of slapping a smile across my face, but never have I been so conscious of it as I am on Last Day of Summer. The album represents the band in a much more relaxed, controlled state. The angular rock has been sanded down a bit and injected with a full helping of nostalgia. There is just a classic feel going on here that I can’t shake. Still, as classic and nostalgic a sound as White Denim have pulled off here, it is still patently White Denim: truckloads of energy propelled by seamless melodies and a robust rhythm section. Last Day of Summer is one of those albums that you can play anywhere at any time and be fully satisfied. The album is generous both in its availability and its hooks – it’s a win-win!
-Thistle
Download Last Day of Summerhere
Oldie-but-goodie here:
White Denim Fits (2009, Full Time Hobby) RIYL = Tolchock Trio, Portugal. The Man, Tapes n’ Tapes
White Denim have made haste and quickly followed up their massively enjoyable debut with their sophmore effort, Fits. Not a whole heap has changed since last year, but that isn't a bad thing. On Fits what we have is another series of bombastic rock n’ roll gems that are as fun as they are energetic. I’m tempted to just cut it off right there. What else is there to know? I think White Denim suffers from some abnormally high levels of adoration in different pockets of the world wide web (I’m looking at you GvB) which has caused a bit of backlash from lotsa people who might really enjoy the bands frantic, glorious rock chops. But I suppose that is nothing terribly new. Seems like you can’t say a single nice word about a band without the hype police coming to town to rain on the parade (if a single nice word can be considered a parade). Oh well, it’s at the loss of those who love to hate, because I love White Denim and I don’t even live in Texas! And I don’t even particularly like Texas. As far as states go, Texas is pretty low on my list (this may have been influenced by a poor experience at Six Flags in Houston). But whatever side of Texas that inspires the raucous, retro-inspired-but-still-modern-feeling rock that is White Denim, I’m all for it. I may have mentioned this when I wrote up Workout Holiday, but I saw White Denim open for Tapes n' Tapes and it was one of the most fantastic rock sets I’ve ever witnessed. There was absolutely nothing I could do to keep myself from nodding my head ridiculously to their aural onslaught. It was embarrassing, but in the best way. Tapes n’ Tapes on the other hand…well, I better not get into that again. Fits took me a little longer to really grasp than Workout Holiday did. It definitely doesn’t have all of the powerful hooks that were on their debut, but that doesn’t make it any less muscular and resilient. It kind of feels the way At Mount Zoomer feels to Apologiesto the Queen Mary, if you can follow that line of thinking. Both great, but a little bit different in terms of accessibility. Not too much, just a little. Well, I’ll stop belaboring this. I love these guys for what they add to indie rock. There isn’t very many bands of this caliber perusing this type of music and am grateful that I have Fits to fill the gap.
White Denim Workout Holiday (2008, Full Time Hobby) RIYL = Tiger Bear Wolf, Women, rock n’ roll
Let's not beat around the bush. White Denim is probably one of the most overly hyped yet still underrated bands in indie rock. I don’t get it. Why is there not more people jumping on the bandwagon? Is it because their hometown blog, GorillaVsBear, seems a little too intent on proclaiming the band’s genius to the world? I always thought there must be some kind of pay relationship going on there, but then I buckled down and finally listened to Workout Holiday (one of two full length albums released last year that basically equate to the same thing, give or take a couple songs) and promptly acknowledged that these guys are the real deal. My interest was actually peaked last year after seeing the band open for the yawn-worthy Tapes n’ Tapes. The energy these guys brought to the show was absolutely awesome and more than made up for the lack thereof from the headliners. Workout Holiday carries that same live energy into the studio/garage/bedroom. The album is simply bursting sweaty grit-filled enthusiasm that is inescapable. It’s simply consuming. Before you know you’re neck will be sore from all the head bobbing, your arms sore from air guitaring and your legs will be sore from dancing to this manic concoction. Really, White Denim deserves to be uttered in the same breath as indie rock luminaries like Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire and TV on the Radio; they’re of that class. The more I listen to this the more I am addicted. Every instrument is strong here: thick, fuzzy bass lines, intertwining guitars lines and riffs, inventive drumming; its just great rock. Soulful in parts, bluesy, yet filled with a snicker and a snarl to induce emphatic, spastic Rock Bandisms (seriously, what’s the point of playing rock band if not to act like a total idiot?). All and all, White Denim have set themselves up for success. There is no way these guys can stay subterranean for long; in fact, it’s only a matter of how long it takes them to record a follow up to Workout Holiday.
