White Denim – Last Day Of Summer

Anybody else got a feeling of déjà vu? You may well do – this is the second time in less than eighteen months that this album has been released. A year after it was initially made available for free download, Last Day Of Summer has been given the “proper” release that it always deserved – and you know what? It sounds even better second time around.

What Last Day Of Summer lacks in raw energy, it more than makes up for in other ways. The overriding feeling of the album is one of complete freedom and creativity. White Denim made it clear when the album was originally released that it was just a “summer retreat” – and their casual attitude is plain to hear on the record. With tracks from as far back as 2006 featured, it’s a real melting pot of influences and styles – ranging from the latin-tinged Americana of ‘Incaviglia’ (which sounds a bit like an un-shit Eagles) to the fuzzy garage rock vibe of ‘Champ’.

On the whole, it’s a more subdued album than you might expect from White Denim, but it shows a side to the Austin quartet that has never really been explored before. And that is exactly what this record feels like – an exploration. The real beauty of it is that it sounds as though the listener isn’t the only one on a voyage of discovery – it seems as though White Denim are exploring and developing their own sound with every track. Although it is an eclectic mix of styles, the tracks never sound anything other than totally natural and effortless. As well as the songwriting and arrangements, the production is more stripped-back too – sometimes relying on little more than just an acoustic guitar, giving James Petralli’s melodies a rare chance to take the lead. The likes of ‘New Coat’ and ‘Toni Fatti’ see White Denim at their most melodic and infectious, although it is nice to hear that there is still a scuzzy guitar solo or two, such as during ‘I’d Have It Just The Way We Were’.

It always seemed a shame that Last Day Of Summer might get overlooked because of the lack of a proper release, because it is undoubtedly one of White Denim’s finest records to date. Subtle, experimental and effortlessly cool, it might show a side to White Denim that we haven’t seen much of in the past – but hopefully it’s one that we’ll be seeing more of in the future.