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Aug 22, 2018 Web Exclusive By Ben Jardine

Building upon their already varied discography might at first seem like a lofty demand for Austin, Texas’s White Denim. The group have released several stellar records in their 10-year existence. There’s 2011’s D, which really introduced the world to the eclectic garage-rock and Americana-meets-prog-jazz stylings of the group, and 2013’s Corsicana Lemonade helped push them along further into commercial success. This year’s White Denim effort, Performance, helps to highlight their virtuosity on a large scale. The songs are well constructed in that classic, unpredictable White Denim way; the record as a whole never strikes too intense of a groove, instead opting to transcend beyond the music itself.

The album’s first single, “Magazin,” has a faint T. Rex vibe, but mixed with glittering effects, horns, and a thick rhythm section which only picks up on the title-track, “Performance,” and beyond. The grooviness of Performance, as a whole, cannot be expressed enough. “Double Death” has a strong jazz influence, with its musical DNA at a crossroads with traditional White Denim breakdowns towards the end. Scorching guitar riffs find home on this track, as well as on “It Might Get Dark,” which takes after an Americana influence. “Sky Beaming” follows the sonic intensity of this track with a slow-moving jam. In all, Performance is an immensely controlled assortment of what White Denim does best—which might please some and (eventually) bore others. (www.whitedenimmusic.com)

Author rating: 7/10