In the 2010s, a new
White Denim album has coincided with a lineup change, and
Performance sticks to the trend with two new recruits. This time out, keyboardist
Michael Hunter and former
NRBQ drummer
Conrad Choucroun join original bandmembers
James Petralli and
Steve Terebecki for their ninth studio album. New blood has done little to radically change the Texas garage rockers' sound, and while technically there's very little to criticize,
Performance never feels wholly fulfilling. The upbeat lilt of the title track is indicative of the record's prevalent good-time vibe, and the lack of variation, such as their weirder urges, have been somewhat curtailed in favor of straight-forward grooves. As much as the melodic grind of "Magazine" beguiles, it's also frustratingly familiar, much like the freak-out jam "Fine Slime." The grimy, winding riffs of "Moves On" are just another example of the band dampening their psych tendencies in favor of more routine garage rock, yet the
T. Rex-ish "It Might Get Dark" is nevertheless a great deal of fun. Elsewhere, the funk rhythms and
Petralli's soulful falsetto on "Double Death" add an additional texture to an album that largely forgoes the fidgety rawness of yore. The bright closer "Good News" is a fitting conclusion to a record with such a rosy disposition, and one whose brevity is one of its strengths.
Performance may be lacking in progress, but the effortlessness of their experiments is still very much present, and nine albums in,
White Denim remain as playful as ever. Overall, longtime fans of the band are likely to be satisfied, if not dazzled, by their latest effort.