13
by White Denim

From spigelwii 04/28/2026 15:48 | #314188

I thought White Denim's last release (the appropriately-titled "12") was bursting with fresh ideas as James Petralli continued reinventing the band on the fly, changing the wheels on the car while still determinedly screaming down the highway. Stylistically, "12" was all over the place. "13" largely apes this approach but employs more guest artists in the continuing attempt to catch lightning in a bottle in the Raze Regal Era. (Note: The "Raze Regal Era" is not a real thing--he was never really even in the band, after all--just something to denote that the band really looks much different post-pandemic. They are an amorphous band now, having gone through a number of lineup changes while still managing to release 5 radically different records in a 7 year stretch and touring sporadically. 2018's "Performance" is the last time I think their sound was *really* defined, and it made for an incredibly tight, cohesive album. It's literally one of my favorite records of all time, actually.)

"13" is not a bad album by any means. In fact, by most band's standards, it's actually quite good. Much like DIY contemporaries King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, White Denim, are one of the premier rock bands of the last twenty years and, as music lovers, we really CAN NOT AFFORD creative burnout on any level. Songs like "Lock and Key," "That's Rap," and "Hired Hand #2" are all distinct from past efforts, but the ones that DO sound like some of the better tracks on "Raze" and "12" ("Time Time," "Quiet Moment," and "Crossfyre" all spring to mind) don't seem nearly as fresh.

All of this to say that I hope whatever creative break they take now that "13" is out the door will be creatively revitalizing. This one is good, but not much more. Now, I know It's not fair to expect every record to be groundbreaking, but I guess that's the cross you bear when you're as consistently excellent as White Denim has been for twenty years.