White Denim "Side Effects" (2019) ***1/2
Less than a year after White Denim released their last album, Performance (2018), they've cranked out another nine songs, at an even shorter length (29 minutes) than Performance's 33 minutes, which was until now their shortest LP to date. Side Effects (2019) is one tight record—duration-wise, obviously (although there is one song which is almost 7 minutes long), but also production-wise, riff-wise and lyrically (there's definitely a lot more music than vocals on this record).
"Small Talk (Feeling Control)", a catchy rocker featuring vocoder on the backup vocals, kicks off the album. "NY Money", the aforementioned 6:50 long track, starts off with a proggy riff before settling into a smooth repetitive groove with a lot of breathing room for guitar and keys to trade off some not-too-noodly noodling. "Out Of Doors", a short instrumental, has a bit of Lindsay Buckingham era Fleetwood Mac feel and it's followed by another, longer, more elaborate, more swinging instrumental, "Reversed Mirror". "Head Spinning", my favorite track on the album, is a fast and furious rock number—very reminiscent of "Uncontrollable Urge", the unforgettable opening track from Devo's classic debut Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
In general, Side Effects is full of f/x and processed guitars but never at the sacrifice of an overall organic sound. As with Performance, Side Effects is a great driving record—the kind you can listen to in its entirety on a shortish commute or round-trip during errands—and also a good one for getting ready to go out for a fun time.
"Small Talk (Feeling Control)", a catchy rocker featuring vocoder on the backup vocals, kicks off the album. "NY Money", the aforementioned 6:50 long track, starts off with a proggy riff before settling into a smooth repetitive groove with a lot of breathing room for guitar and keys to trade off some not-too-noodly noodling. "Out Of Doors", a short instrumental, has a bit of Lindsay Buckingham era Fleetwood Mac feel and it's followed by another, longer, more elaborate, more swinging instrumental, "Reversed Mirror". "Head Spinning", my favorite track on the album, is a fast and furious rock number—very reminiscent of "Uncontrollable Urge", the unforgettable opening track from Devo's classic debut Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
In general, Side Effects is full of f/x and processed guitars but never at the sacrifice of an overall organic sound. As with Performance, Side Effects is a great driving record—the kind you can listen to in its entirety on a shortish commute or round-trip during errands—and also a good one for getting ready to go out for a fun time.
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