For White Denim, the indie-rock band from Austin, Texas, a new album means a stab at a brand-new sound. It’s hard to put a label on this four-piece rock outfit, considering their discography is made up of entirely different phases of experimentation. After debuting with an under-produced, garage-rock sound on 2007’s “Let’s Talk About it,” White Denim shifted to producing their music in-studio, resulting in a cleaner, progressive rock sound on albums like 2012’s “Last Day of Summer.” The group’s latest work, “Stiff,” presents further transformation.
With this latest release, White Denim has hopped on the soul train, joining a growing list of successful soul and rock artists emerging from Texas — contemporaries include Gary Clark, Jr. and Leon Bridges, the latter of whom has toured with White Denim’s guitarists Austin Jenkins and Joshua Block. Though White Denim’s music has traditionally been sprinkled with bluesy sounds, “Stiff” exhibits the most soulful and jubilant music the band has produced yet, and represents a new contribution to the psychedelic blues and soul renaissance of the 2010s.
The first few songs on the album are a roller-coaster ride of twangy guitar riffs, fast-paced drum solos and lively tambourine clapping, creating a happy-go-lucky, dance-floor vibe. The album’s first track, “Had 2 know (Personal),” blasts the album off with a wild guitar riff, favoring a rambunctious musical sound rather than James Petralli’s lead lyrics and vocals, allowing the band to show off their capability to jam. “Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah),” the second track on the album, keeps up the fast-paced, guitar-heavy music, this time more heavily paired with Petralli’s soulful, energetic singing. Petralli yells out, “So be yourself / Try to have a good time,” adding to the happy spirit of the of song and cheerful opening of the album as a whole.
As the album progresses to its fifth song, “Take It Easy (Ever After Lasting Love),” the pace of “Stiff” changes entirely, displaying the band's fluidity in genre and talent. Petralli’s smooth voice takes the spotlight this time, turning the track into an R&B-style love song, complete with harmonious background singers and haunting falsetto. Petralli’s musical range and use of falsetto on this album is impressive, and he succeeds in attaining a funky sound comparable to James Brown or Marvin Gaye.
Other tracks, such as “(I’m the One) Big Big Fun,” are also slower-paced than songs from the first half of the album. “Big Big Fun” allows for the band to show what they can do with more understated sounds, again letting Petralli take the lead with his soft, funky singing, coupled by more modest guitar riffs, as well as softly-played xylophone and keyboard in the background.
Though the style of music is new for White Denim, not everything has changed. At certain points, “Stiff” is definitely reminiscent of the band’s previous work. “There’s a Brain in My Head” and “Thank You,” for instance, are more typically alternative sounding than the many bluesy numbers. The band makes it clear that they aren’t abandoning their indie-rock sound entirely.
White Denim has created a fascinating album, carving out a spot for the band in the world of soulful rock ‘n’ roll while maintaining their indie roots, and even probing into more traditional R&B. “Stiff” is genre-defying and engaging — a truly fun time for all listeners.
Fans of the album can see White Denim in action April 19 at The Southern.
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