WHITE DENIM

CORSICANA LEMONADE (Downtown Records)

15/20

Corsicana Lemonade sees White Denim return with their fifth album in as many years and in fine effervescent fettle. The Texan four-piece jam out classic rock with the rhythmic insistence of jazz; divergent and erratic they nevertheless have a good ear for a hook and this bottle of fizzy pop is their best yet. Kicking off with a tumbling, fret-shredding riff, lead -in track At Night In Dreams ascends into a punchy chorus that’s sure to soon be triumphantly reverberating through the walls of many a venue. And triumphant is what Corsicana Lemonade is, showcasing the very best of what White Denim have to offer.  Never ones to make it easy on themselves, the straining sinews of every band member leap from the stereo with the complex rhythms, riffs and gutsy vocals, but it’s all delivered with a sense of fun – see the bouncy title track and the playful Let It Feel Good (My Eagles). Occasionally this verges into sketchy territory, with Come Back sounding a little too much like Primus. But Wilco main man Jeff Tweedy’s production has been wholly beneficial, providing a depth and sheen to their sound without losing any of the fuzzy goodness that has won them so many admirers. Echoes of Wilco’s alt-country sound can be heard in places too, such as on the soaring Pretty Green. The instrumental sojourns of previous albums have been reigned in somewhat, and more gentle numbers like New Blue Feeling and A Place To Start further showcase the band’s ability to write sensitive and heartrending tunes. With Corsicana Lemonade, White Denim’s assurance continues to swell.

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Words: Andrew Broaks