White Denim "Performance" (2018) ***

White Denim's newest LP Performance (2018), at a lean 33 minutes, is their shortest to date, but looking back none of their albums run longer than 39 minutes. On Performance they continue to follow a similar trajectory that The Black Keys have, that of an early bluesy raw sound now filtered through a more accessible "pop" lens. But while The Black Keys went stale for me on their last LP Turn Blue (2014), White Denim is still cranking out winners. White Denim have always had a bit "jammier" sound than the Keys though and Performance finds them channeling The Clash at the beginning of "It Might Get Dark", The Kinks on "Good News", and as always throughout their discography Thin Lizzy. There's also some nice synth stylings on songs like "Moves On" and "Sky Beaming". Performance is a great driving record—the kind you can listen to in its entirety on a shortish commute or round-trip during errands.