The hype surrounding the latest White Denim album, D, is quite surprising considering the band has been churning out revivalist rock music for a few years now and just now have they been getting a real following. That might be because D is actually really good. Not passingly good, to the point where you’ll hear about this album and it’ll drift into the depths of an overloaded external hard drive, but good in the way that the band may have finally created an emotionally genuine album that is actually resonating with fans of southern rock.
I was able to catch the band headline the Bottom of the Hill on May 26th to a fairly sizable and lively crowd.
Fake Your Own Death
Fake Your Own Death
Opening was heavily Joy Division influenced local act, Fake Your Own Death. Not sure what the audience was feeling at the moment, mainly because they seemed to be preoccupied with not paying attention to the band. I was one of them. Not the FYOD is necessarily bad, but there seemed to be a lack of chemistry and persona on stage. The cause of this would probably be that one member quit the band fairly recently and their computer went kaput that night. Not their fault, so I can safely say I wouldn’t mind seeing them again. However, I cannot speak for the crowd that night.
White Denim
White Denim
Now, White Denim was been described as ‘garage rock’ but I’m not sure how accurate that is. Maybe in their earlier albums like Let’s Talk About It or even Fits, but with D, the band went full-blown southern swamp rock and the results are quite rewarding. The live show obviously reflects on that significant change as lead singer Jason Petralli wails and rocks to each and every song with unrelenting passion.
White Denim
White Denim
The band themselves bring something special along with them that always makes a good live show; community. They seem to eye-ball each other and use subtle body language to cue extended jam sessions that don’t put the listener to sleep. Songs like the storming Street Joy (my favorite) and the howling Drug prove that White Denim have created an album with a sound that is at once timeless yet urgently rooted in this time and place.
White Denim
The audience was fully dedicated and magnetized to the band’s undeniable talent and entertaining presence. However, I will say that the extended jams after every song got kind of old. There’s only so much of that I can take before I’m like, “Okay, I get it. Do you have to do this with every song? Get on with it!”
Overall, a very rocking good time with a band that is on the verge of 400+ size venues and a proper headlining tour. Plus with a 4 star Rolling Star review (does that mean anything any more?) and an ever increasing fan base, White Denim might just be a household name before you know it.
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White Denim – Drug from D (2011)
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