Five years after reports of Covid emerged from China, the pandemic is still having an impact upon a significant number of albums being released now. The twelfth long player from White Denim, appropriately enough called ‘12’, containing twelve tracks and being released in the twelfth month, has been shaped by different working conditions. As has regularly been the case with popular music, obstacles present opportunities for creative thinking and the best new approaches. In this case, gone are their traditional extended workouts ‘on the floor’, replaced by digitally assembled tracks, often with contributions from players that band leader James Petralli had never even met. This new approach has seen White Denim’s palette extend way beyond the southern rock and soul that has sustained their sound. For ‘12’, stated inspirations which are clearly audible include Scritti Politti’s ‘Cupid and Psyche’ for its dense sonic textures, the likes of Joe Jackson, Nick Lowe and Jonathan Richman for their capacity to make energetic, good-time music in which the humanity shines through and, less discernibly, the deep dub of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Dennis Bovell. What Petralli has maintained from previous White Denim records is a concise virtuosity on tracks that demonstrate that ridiculous time-signatures and a breathtaking groove are not incompatible.
Never is this better illustrated than on the album’s opening track and lead single, ‘Light On’. Quickly emerging out of some impressionistic flute and saxophone squiggles, it is built around some glorious jazzy guitar lines while its mood is enhanced by the judicious addition of marimba and vibraphone. While the lyrics reference the difficulties of sleeping alone, the spreading of lies, acknowledging that everyone will die and emphasising the importance of leaving a little light when you go, there is something almost euphoric in the chord progression that leads to this recognition.
‘Ecolining’ has keyboards, guitar, drums, flute and vocals racing along, thrillingly fitting in with each other’s giddy patterns while noting that is impossible to run away from grief. Fortunately, ‘Flash Bare Ass’ does not go in the direction its title suggests. Instead, it has an insistent and upfront melody, reflections on writing, singing and painting, before a vocoder takes over. The brief instrumental ‘Cat City #2’ adds electric sitar, banjo and violin to the mix.
The middle of ‘12’ features an especially strong pair of songs. Temeca Jones’ vocals make ‘Look Good’ a standout track. With its synths, keyboards and funk underlay, it makes for a modern-day soul classic. That mood is maintained on ‘Second Dimension’, its keyboard and synth bass to the fore while its construction and phrasing have the hallmarks of ‘Talking Book’ era Stevie Wonder.
‘I Still Exist’ has a blissful mood in which flute, violins and sax swirl above a solidly sensuous groove, although the lyrics belie the serenity. Like the following track, ‘Your Future As God’, it deals with the push and pull of relationships, although the latter is even more pessimistic with its conclusion, “Change- I can’t change your mind / Change- what will change your mind?”
‘Swinging Doors’ demonstrates their ability to join disparate elements into a satisfying whole: southern rock, backwards psychedelic guitar patterns and the sonic overload of Mercury Rev. The title line of ‘We Can Move Along’ feels disappointingly flat and straight-forward though, something that its shifts are unable to rescue. ‘Hand Out Giving’ settles in country rock territory with pedal steel, banjo and violin, although the presence of synths, flute and a big chorus make it far from generic. ‘12’ is bookended with intimations of mortality and closes with ‘Precious Child’, Petralli’s life flashing before his eyes, although oddly it is a stately and not entirely convincing conclusion with a ballad heavy on trombone, trumpet, piano and vibraphone.
‘12’ is an album that belies its distanced construction. Despite a loss of momentum towards the end, at its best it sounds like a top-notch band playing together and features some of Petralli’s finest moments.
White Denim: 12 – Out 6 December 2024 (Bella Union)
Denim ‘Light On’ (Official Video)
I was editor of the long-running fanzine, Plane Truth, and have subsequently written for a number of publications. While the zine was known for championing the most angular independent sounds, performing in recent years with a community samba percussion band helped to broaden my tastes so that in 2021 I am far more likely to be celebrating an eclectic mix of sounds and enthusing about Made Kuti, Anthony Joseph, Little Simz and the Soul Jazz Cuban compilations as well as Pom Poko and Richard Dawson.
