This slapped.
D is the fourth full-length studio album by the Texan band White Denim, released by Downtown Records on May 24, 2011 to wide critical acclaim. Upon its release, D received critical acclaim from music critics. Aggregating website AnyDecentMusic? reports a score of 7.7 based on 22 professional reviews. AllMusic calls this "laboriously constructed" album "a masterpiece". The new production value (and occasional flute solo or dreamy string arrangement) did "nothing to water down the band's muscular interplay," according to Jason Lymangrover. A reviewer calls bassist Steve Terebecki and drummer Josh Block "one of the most badass rhythm sections this side of Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding", and praises guitarists Jenkins and James Petralli for playing off one another perfectly, "intertwining jazzy guitar noodling, prog scales, and rock riffs." "Everything is tightly structured, and melodies are of the highest importance, especially in the album's explosive single 'Drug,' which blends a raw groove and Southern Americana slack along with Summer of Love lyrics," the critic writes. According to Rolling Stone, White Denim are "...like a jam band that refuses to be boring", mixing sublimely "psychedelia, hardblues, boogie, prog rock and fusion riffs like inspired kids weaned on 64GB iPods and 64-ounce Slurpees" in a way that "often recalls late-Sixties Grateful Dead, when their songs still had garage-rock drive but were exploding every which way." "The freakouts are mathematically calibrated, come with joyous hooks, and can coalesce into something conventionally heroic," notes Uncut magazine. The album has been described as "White Denim's most thrillingly off-kilter record to date" and "another joyous rampage through rock's dusty attic" by Mojo and Q critics, respectively. Uncut placed the album at number 4 on its list of "Top 50 albums of 2011", while Mojo, NME, and Rolling Stone ranked it 6, 37, and 46, respectively. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
This slapped.
I think I’ve found another gem of an artist. This album was pretty good and I kept listening to their music after the album ended and this shit is my jam. It’s like blues and rock and a little psychedelic and there’s a lot going on but doesn’t get irritating. I’d probably put it at a high 4 but I want it on my summary just so I remember this band from time to time. Is and is and is is by far my fav but street joy is pretty good too.
Holy shit what a great album, I listened to this four times in a row!
A 37-minute journey into some American indie garage rock psychedelia. Was folky at some points and quite tropical at others. A nice varied album that was just a lot of fun throughout. I'd never heard of this band before now but I must say I'm certainly a fan. Favourite: River to Consider
I SUPER enjoyed this album! Great songwriting, great music, great variety, great vibes! I liked the psych-rock feel of some of the tracks and there wasn't a single miss in any of the songs. This will definitely be an album I will be returning to!
Give it up for White Denim! IYKYK Great album
Boom Never heard of these guys before but this is right up my street Constantly surprising but filled with hooks Loved it
This album is a psychedelic inspired quasi jam band style record. I say quasi jam band because everything on this album is very intentionally placed. Elements of hard blues, 2000s mainstream rock, Latin rock, and many other genres can be heard throughout giving this album a sense of wandering though it is under 40 minutes. The breadth and cohesion of this album is impressive but it does seem to lack a bit of depth. While the album very skillfully weaves its way through rock history, it doesn’t push anything forward.
-Didn’t write a BL- AL: this album was just so… boring. It kind of felt like a nothingness. It was so comically ok that I feel nothing but disdain for it. Maybe it just didn’t hit right, maybe it wasn’t the right time. But god I couldn’t distinguish anything about this. FT: didn’t have one 1/5
A complete new discography that absolutely blew me away. Struggling to compare this with… anything else? Had to listen twice in a row and will be going back again.
I really liked this album. I was surprised how much actually because I think I had incorrectly prejudged White Denim in the past, assuming they were more of a hipster type band based on their name. The music is dynamic and interesting, they actually remind me a lot of the Montreal band Plants and Animals. Also, had hints of Radiohead at times but also some folk/country-ish vibes to it. Solid album and will definitely look into more of their catalog. Standout Tracks: It's Him!, Back at the Farm, Street Joy, Anvil Everything, River to Consider, Keys
Never heard of this band but loved this album. Great combination of so many different genres coupled with great guitar, bass, drums, and flute(!). The rhythm section, especially the drums are a huge standout to me. Really struggled to pick one for the playlist because I liked it all so much!
A deeply offensive record that basically promotes the use of retarded children as catwalk models. It's not good for their self esteem and makes me feel physically sick. Models should be rake thin, gaunt and lacking in nutrients, not hot disabled teens drooling into their wheelchairs. For Christ's sake, sort it out.
I've known White Denim through a couple of singles on their Stiff album. But god damn are they really good. Initially sounds like it might be some generic indie rock, but the instrumentals in this are so awesome, particularly the drums and lead guitar, that many of the songs become full face melting jams. Back at the Farm and Bess St. are exactly what I'm looking to find in this journey.
This was a surprisingly good psych rock/ jam band album. You can tell it was meticulously put together. I really enjoyed it and will definitely come back to it. I'm not sure about it's actual influence, but it may be the best jam band album of the 2010s. I think it teeters on a 5, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Best Songs: Back at the Farm, Street Joy, Drug, Is and Is and Is Worst Songs: NA
If I were tasked with adding some 2010’s psych to the list, I’d probably opt for something that leaned more towards the blistering, brain-burning side of things like Ty Segall’s “Twins” or Thee Oh Sees’ “Floating Coffin” or “Carrion Crawler/The Dream”, but White Denim’s “D” doesn’t necessarily disappoint. The musicianship is impressive and the songs twist and turn through different movements pretty smoothly. The band veers too close to the Jamband world for my tastes at times, though their playing is not lackadaisical or burnt out and is certainly more engaging than pretty much anything I’ve ever heard from the Grateful Dead, Phish and their patchouli drenched ilk. “D” is a good “lite-psych” record, with expert playing and well written songs, even if it feels a bit like Jamband music for people who don’t spend their life bombed out on Phish tour slinging grilled cheese and asking for miracles outside venues across America.
Laid back and unique. Guitar heavy, which I love but they aren't just riffing they are really finding unique ways to play their instruments. It is very chaotic but also calming in a strange way.
D I love this album, a bit of a step change from their previous albums, which have a lot of the same elements, but push the looser experimental jazz psychedelia jams, rather than the more crafted songs on here. I love how they manage to balance that looseness with the rock, jazz, soul, prog, country, americana, garage and psychedelic influences with the idea of that craft, keeping a sense of fun and on the edge of breaking downness with some pretty tight structures. It’s their first album with two guitarists, which you can hear in the trading of licks and riffs, but it never feels self indulgent or showy, and it’s all anchored by the great, muscular and tight rhythm section. It’s Him! and Burnished are a great opening pair, kind of setting the template, great drums, dual guitars and warm, seemingly laid back melodies. Love At The Farms crescendoing guitar workout. Street Joy is a nice slower tempo track after the rhythmically driven first 3 songs and is a welcome little breather before the duelling guitars return on Anvil Everything. Love the flute on River to Consider, has a real Magical Mystery Tour psychedelia to it. Drug is superb, along with Bess Street probably the catchiest tune. Love the guitar tone and the driving drums and bass on both. The acoustic rhythm on Bess Street is great, kind of US indie-folk, but with a 70s bluesy rock edge. Love the vocal stretch out on Is and Is and Is and love the baroque string arrangement with the country clip clop of Keys, with a really very sweet vocal melody, and a nicely subdued way to end the album. It always feels to me, if I had any musical ability at all, that they would be a fun band to play in, although I understand James Petralli, who is essentially the band, isn’t that easy to work with, which you can gauge by the fact the lineup changes pretty frequently. The next album is the last one with this drummer, and it’s only the bass player who has stayed alongside Petralli throughout. Obviously a 5, great album, great band. 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍 Playlist submission: Drug
This album grabbed me and didn't let go
This felt like a few artists put together at times. Some Coldplay, some Black Keys, some U2, some Dirty Projectors. Lots of influences converging in this one energetic and at times frantic album. This surprised me, really. Never having heard of them I was skeptical of what I might be in for. But the energy, the dedication to precision and arrangements, and the general mood of the whole thing was fun and uplifting and just a great time. I always appreciate an album that keeps the energy up but still manages not to tire me out. I have often, in these reviews, hounded on artists for lacking variety in tempo, energy, and mood in their albums as that usually makes all the songs sound the same and the whole thing feels monotone. But this was high energy almost the whole way and never felt tiresome. I don’t know how they did it but I love it and I’m here for it. Maybe it was its short length, maybe it was its variety of influences and the distinct nature of each track. I don’t know. But more albums should be this way. Five stars. Loved it. Standout Tracks: …It’s Him!, Burnished, Back at the Farm, River to Consider, Bess St., Is and Is and Is
Indie rock, garage rock, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, Southern rock. Texas 2011. BDB Do kolejnego obadania
Took me a few listens, but this album is fantastic! Love the versatility between odd meters, incredibly tight playing, and delicate tracks like Street Joy hidden in between. I'll be back for more.
Indie garagey rock with some jamming and psychedelia. There’s a loose feel to the music but the band is quite nimble, able to pivot quickly in and out of typical song structures and varying rhythms and riffs in instrumental jams. It’s an interesting mix for a recorded album, but it works well. The instrumental sections come rapidly, generally change the feel of things for a bit And then head out before outstaying their welcome. The interplay between the band works well, with guitar melodies that circle around your head while the fuzzy bass fills in melodic gaps locked in with competent drumming. The music is busy, but not overwhelming. I don’t know what the lyrics were and honestly don’t care, it’s not about that. It’s interesting and unique music that combines a bunch of interests into its own sound. Though I prefer the heavier, more complex, and jammier songs to the more acoustic and songy-er songs.
Wow. There is an awful lot happening here and some of it is fantastic! Layers of rhythms and styles. Just so much going on. Sometimes it feels completely comfortable and sometimes nicely unexpected. I don't have time for multiple listens today but I know I like it and want some more time with this one.
Damn that's a burst of energy! Really dig it!
Never heard it before. It's got a punk-y, garage band vibe, with a hint of the Allman brothers that smooths out just enough of the jagged edges to keep it interesting. I liked this album.
very good album, enjoyed it a lot! Very eclectic rock sound.
White Denim has a sound. Their palpatating jams are relentless and the guitar tone is always great. Fun albums every time I throw them on.
Never heard of this band before this list and my first impression is, why haven't I listened to White Denim before? Instantly, this music feels familiar with all sorts of things going on with music styles all over the map. Generally, this falls into genres I enjoy, a bit of psych, jazzy grooves, prog, blues, garagy, alternative-indie and definitely a jam-band inspired band. I do like albums with lots of fancy guitar work and this doesn't disappoint, with some stellar musical performances all around. I noticed they opened for Wilco on a 2012 tour and I can hear the similarities on some songs. I am shocked to read they have a rather lengthy discography already, so hopefully the other albums are at least half as good as D.
I'm always gonna love this garage psych sound, but something about it didn't strike me as particularly special. It was carried by a great vibe, but the songs and ideas underneath didn't cut the mustard compared to artists similar to the style.
When I read the intro on the front page and saw "occasional flute solo" I knew this wouldn't be for me. I felt this was really just a jam band, just throwing a bunch of music together. Wasn't terrible, except the flute parts, but nothing I was consider exceptional either. I did like Is and Is and Is, but nothing else grabbed my attention, but the gogdamn flute parts. And I would have never guessed this was from 2011. Ok background music, but not something I would seek out. 2
Realistically this would be a 4.5, but I enjoyed it so much a 5 seems fair. What a gorgeous album. Reminds me of a scaled back King Gizzard at times, and an unhinged Cage The Elephant at others. Beautiful.
I really enjoyed this one. Is and is and is was probably my favorite song.
This was definitely a great discovery. It’s impossible to decide if you want to call it indie rock, progressive, or psychedelic because it straddles the border between all three of them perfectly. The prog rock side brings out great elements of some jazzier sections with intricate arrangements as they seamlessly blend multiple genres or fade from one to another within one song. I’m really looking forward to checking out more of this band’s catalog.
What a great surprise! I’ll definitely need to put these guys on regular rotation
Oi by the way Back at the Farm might be one of the greatest songs I've heard out of this entire fucking list. COTDAM it's goin off on this uber home YAOW. Good lordy get lost that's a big tune.
Very unique album with lots of character and fun songs. Indie with strong guitar and interesting instrument solos
wow!
What a great fun album. It's Him grabs you from the very beginning. Back at the Farm is my absolute favourite. Street Joy seems to be popular and I can see why. Looking forward to hearing this again.
A very pleasing album. I hope I enjoy it as much on a second listen.
yet another band i haven't heard of til now with an INSANELY great sound. what happens when you take a typical prog band and take it all the way to the bottom of the states? you get an incredibly sounding collection of impeccable moving and windy rock songs, that's what. this is like... canyon prog. desert prog. dusty prog. does that make sense?
NEW FAVORITE BAND
A great find! Loved it
Now this is what I signed up for! All of the weird technical intricacies of Yes but with almost Beatleque abilities to write a tune. Jazzy, proggy, psychedelic dad rock for the 21st century. Almost makes this generator worth while.
Wow, this was really good. Vibes for days. I can't wait to dig in to their other albums.
Damn, I loved that! Never heard of them before, but I want more of this!
Actually liked this one more than I thought I would
This is some great indie rock. I will be checking out more from them as it hits right where I like it.
Never heard of the band, but they ROCK! Great album from start to finish
Truly wonderful album. I try and save the 5stats but this is deserving. No skips, all iterating concepts and a revelation of indietween
det här är bland det bästa jag hört på länge. trummorna låter så jäkla bra. utöver det så är allt proddat till perfektion. Det finns inga störiga ljud trots att det händer extremt mycket i ljudbilden. Musiken i sig är också helt otroligt bra. Det är på något sätt modern rock fast med ganska tydliga 70-tals influenser. en enkel femma.
Impressive album
Wow. Das war jetzt ein Streifzug durch eine straff konstruierte rhythmische Musiklandschaft. Von der Gruppe und den Album habe ich noch nie etwas gehört. Ab der zweiten Nummer hat es mich gepackt. Street Joy überstrahlt alle, aber das kann man so nicht stehen lassen. Es ist ein Feuerwerk an Soli, Schlagzeuge und wunderschönen Melodien. Dieses Album sollte inzwischen kein Geheimtipp mehr sein.
we are so back. this was a joy to listen to!
The Deadhead in your life’s new favorite album.
Ooooo. Love me some WD. Even though the name makes me think of Andrew WK. I'm always surprised to see any indie rock on this list. But they definitely kick it up a bunch of notches. They got me right in their tight worn-down pocket.
One of my favorite albums. Super melodic voyages. I could listen to this one over and over
This is a really great record. Tons of variety and changes to keep things interesting, killer rhythm section work, just overall a really great feeling from listening to this. At The Farm is crazy. It’s like the members of Led Zeppelin doing a Grateful Dead cover band Really I couldn't have been more impressed with this record. It was a huge surprise as I'd never heard anything about this band before.
Had never heard of them and I loved their sound and song lyrics. Always love hearing a band or individual I’m not heard and enjoy listening too!!
I was so judgemental and dismissive on first sight of this album. I was more than prepared to write this off as more crap music that nobody has ever heard of that got chosen because the UK list-makers do not have an appropriate barometer for impactful North American music. BUT, and it is a big butt a-thankyoouuu, this has smashed all of my preconceived judgements and shattered my uppity disparaging attitude. I LOVE this! I've looped this record 5 times now today because it's so very enjoyable. I love the sound, I love the instrumentation, I love the vocals and the overall vibes. This is a spectacular little gem that I am truly digging. I've never been so happy to be completely dead wrong in all my life. Despite my propensity to stain, I shall indeed don my finest white denim and join this fucking party. Right on, man.
This was a nice discovery. Thanks again, Alex, for the generator!
An updated psychedelic 60s sound for the 10s, this has lots to enjoy, this album gets better and better. Definitely one I could see myself listening to a few more times and enjoying more and more.
Very good modern rock album
I loved it❤️
can’t believe this album wasn’t made in the 70s - 10/10
HL: "It's Him", “Anvil Everything”, "Street Joy", "Bess St", "Keys" I don't know what I expected going into this proggy folky garage album, but the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts here. After not being sold on Live/Dead (1969) recently, the comparisons to the Grateful Dead that this album received had me a little gun-shy. Yet its sun-soaked joie de vivre and indulgent, arty noodling made a surprisingly addictive blend. May 12, 2024
I was not expecting this to be as fun as it was. Totally caught me off guard. The grooves, the vocals, the production: everything is on point. I can't find anything to ding it for so it's getting full marks.
incredible all the way through. hints of king gizzard, fun., the monkees - but still pretty distinct. never heard of them before this but already listening to another album of theirs
LOVE!!
Never even heard of them before but this is some quality rock and roll. Thanks generator!
I liked this way more than I expected from the album artwork. I could’ve done without the flute, but otherwise this was right up my alley. I think I have a new favorite band. Favorite track: Is and Is and Is
This blew my expectations out of the water. Wonderful jamming, easy to listen to yet interesting. It’s noodling that’s actually good! Bravo. This slaps.
You know what to expect from an Austin country-psych-jam outfit. This is simply a perfectly-wrapped package of it. The production does heavy lifting: The sound is full without ever feeling heavy. Lyrics allusive enough to skate by; The sound's the main attraction, which is to say all playing's killer, never mathy.
Des fois on met un 5 car la surprise est trop grande par rapport à l'attente. J'ai vraiment aimé l'album. Genre de psychédélique, rock, il y a un peu de tout et c,est bien fait. Vraiment une decouverte !
Hoe goed zijn die drummer en bassist!! Maar ook de rest van de band mag er wezen. Heel genietbaar album, en weer een absolute verrassing!
Retro, but really great. Would listen again
Never heard of this band or album but I really loved it. Like if the Dead were good at math and composition and also from 21st century Texas
I’d never heard of White Denim before, but they sound exactly how I’d imagine an Austin-based indie band to sound, so I’m not disappointed. They remind me of the Black Keys from the get go in the opening track, and their psychedelic blues continue to dominate for the rest of the album. That isn’t to say that the album is stylistically straightforward, though. “Street Joy” gives us an introspective pop fit for the mid-2010s, while “River to Consider” clearly draws influence from far beyond the Texas Hill Country. “Bess St” sounds more like Dan Auerbach on vocals than any other song on the record, and just as the Black Keys have maintained a relatively steady style and demeanor over the past 20 years, it feels like this album could have been released any time since the turn of the century. Some further investigation after finishing the album led to their cover of “Just Dropped In,” originally by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. They do an immaculate job, making enough adjustments to make the performance their own but keeping the melody true enough to the original to pay respect to the original. They apparently covered the Big Lebowski soundtrack classic for the TV version of Fargo. If these guys can make the Austin music scene proud with their psychedelic blues and fanboy for the Coen Brothers too, I have to give them five stars. The groove abides.
Incredible transitions, constant instrumental interest, psychodelic while still being approachable, Terrific album.
Did not let you off the rollercoaster once. Frenzied but controlled. Played with tempo and dynamics incredibly well.
Can’t believe I had never heard of this. I listened to a ton of indie/alternative radio in 2011-14 and never heard is this group. Truly a failing of the machine. I have also hated any psychedelic album that’s come up but this is an easy 5er for me.
Awesome
Take the modern blues rock of Jack White or Black Keys, make it super fast and jammy, and add an acid rock twist to it. Almost like King Gizzard, except feels more improvised and chaotic with the instruments doing their own thing. Yet it's so dense, there's too much going on in each track, that it's insane only one track goes more than 4 minutes, and it's over in just over a half hour. "Street Joy" is obviously the hit single because it's one of the only songs people could track of. The ending of "Is and Is and Is" reminds me he sounds like Dan Reynolds in a lot of places, but good. But really, I'm not sensing a bad track. They all stand out, and it's pretty consistent. And obviously, no way you could get bored of this, just overwhelmed, but that goes by with repeated listens.
****4 What a great band. Categorize this one as trippy, psychedelic summer fun. Wide ranging influences, excellent, technical, joyful guitars. This one hits my sweet spot. The vocals are good, if a little dated "indie"esque. It flows nicely as an album, revealing more diverse influences as it goes along. Rocking to experimental to pastoral. First time listening, will definitely give this one many more spins. The band name had put me off, it being pretty bad, but man, as bad as their name is their music is good.
The best description I've seen for this band is "a jam band that refuse to be boring." Really fun record. Best track: Back at the Farm
Eclectic rock. Started off more punky/surf rock-ey, ended more electronic/poppy. Pretty fun
PREFS : It's Him!, At the Farm, Anvil Everything, River to Consider, Drug, Bess St., Is and Is and Is MOINS PREF : Street Joy
Really liked this. I'd heard White Denim before but never did a deep dive on them. The voice is soothing, and there's some really killer guitar riffs and solos here.
I have never heard of White Denim before and all of the music on D was new to me. I liked all of the tracks on this album. I'm not sure how to even classify this album. I heard some tracks that were leaning towards country (if only slightly) and others that seemed to point towards Progressive Rock (e.g., "Bess St."). It was easy to settle in and listen to the whole album, which was assisted by the way in which some tracks feed right in to the track that follows. "At the Farm was the track that I rated highest. I could easily listen to this album again.
White denim? Check their hard drives.
solid album!
A rich and spicy blend, with some notes of prog and considerable jam band feels.
my great white hope, now nothing but memories and what could have been. the Ravel Morrison of alt rock bands. back in the downloading of music days i used to have a load of pre album recordings of white denim and they were terrifyingly good. a distorted, raucous, fast, exciting and messy 3 piece led by drums and bass powering along making pretty technical and difficult playing unnoticeable as it sounded so right. they never bottled that madness on an album and they've got progressively less interesting. still technically gifted but that appears to be the point of them now, a demonstration on technical playing, no discernable 'sound' and no hooklines or songs to remember. basically they've become a university music student band where the ability is through the roof but everything is by the book. despite all my crying and the fixed memory that this album was disappointing, the passing of time and the fading of my initial mourning has shown me that this album is actually pretty good. so what do i know about music? absolutely nothing.
Kinetic and dynamic (especially the drumming). Somehow one missed this band (presumably from the distractions of first days of parenthood) but quite likes the heady, spicy brew here. Quite well balanced but a bit too jam-band-y at times, and one feels suspicious of some of the virtuosity here, as if they might be show-offy, and not especially motivated to hear more (as if one's initial impression migth be threatened). Still, surprisingly better than one expected from a band one'd never heard of and has barely seen register.
Dig it. Seen them live before. Never listened to this album. Little proggy , little indy rock-ish. Unique sound. 8/10
Rock progresivo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Never heard of these guys outside of this project - I guess they got popular after my media bubble solidified. Yeah, enjoyed it! The sound like The Shins got a little bit heavier, maybe, or Animal Collective dabbled with garage rock. Fave track - Hmnmm, "Anvil Everything", or "Drug", or "Is and Is and Is". I like the fact those tracks all sound like they coulda come from different bands...
ZU KURZ! Erinnert bisschen an die Veckatimest von Grizzly Bear. Welch‘ Perle nach einer langen Durststrecke.
Funky. I liked it a lot
Beautiful ambience, knows to not take itself too seriously. A great album.