By Guy Marcham, Music Sub-Editor
'Their exuberant rock 'n' roll will leave bodies aching from dance and faces melted by glorious guitar solos', Guy Marcham reviews White Denim at Bristol's O2 Academy.
White Denim are certainly one insanely talented band. Since 2008, the Texan natives have proved to be one of rock music's finest exports, crafting a sound reminiscent of The Black Keys on acid.
Their mix of razor-sharp 70s pop rock with frantic King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard esque 'wah wah infused abandon' is an absolute joy to feast your ears on. Live, they turn into an even greater beast. Pure masters of their craft.
However, White Denim are a band not for the faint hearted. Their exuberant and pulsating dose of rock 'n' roll will leave bodies aching from dance and faces melted by glorious guitar solos. Something I can certainly confess to, having been treated to an onslaught - in a tremendous way - of high octane riffing and frenetic jams. It's testament to their raucous live show that only minutes into their set, bassist Steve Terebecki had to switch guitars for snapping one of his strings.
The band kicked off proceedings with the Steely Dan inspired 'Backseat Driver' from their latest record released last year, entitled Performance. From then on, the band raced through song after song, effortlessly transitioning as if each track rolled into the next. It was hard for the audience to even catch their breath amongst a barrage of shape shifting guitar compositions, darting between fuzz infused gnarls and intricate psychedelic solos. But, this is the thing that makes White Denim such a tantalising live act. An ecstatic rock 'n' roll fist to the face.
Stand out moments from their set came from the stomping blues influenced strut of 'Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)' as well as the mind bending and sprawling hypnotic 'Anvil Everything'. Such tracks represented the band's ability to switch between slices of catchy pop rock delights, warped psychedelic wanderings and no holds barred rock behemoths. A skill that cannot be said for many current rock bands.
White Denim may be good on record, but within a live environment is where they truly come alive. An utterly bombastic, face melting and enthralling treat. I couldn't recommend them enough.
Featured Image: White Denim/ City Slang
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