White Hills – So You Are...So You’ll Be (Thrill
Jockey)
CD/DL
19 August 2013
8/10
Space-rockers, White Hills, release their
seventh studio album. Louder Than Wars
Paul Scott-Bates gives his thoughts.
Another new genre to me. Space-rock, or, “psychedelic interstellar
rock”, according to White Hills’ record label, Thrill Jockey. I shouldn’t really be surprised, as the label
continues to bring exciting and unique aural delights our way. For me they’re up there with Mute and
OnUsound for being pioneers and groundbreakers.
So what of the White Hills sound? Well, it’s a strange concoction of grunge,
metal and rock which is powerful to say the least, but, it’s interweaved with
slabs of electronic noise and effects which, on first listen sound odd to say
the least. The second time around (and
third, and fourth, repeat infinitum), it all makes sense and it’s a clever
little thing to be honest.
The trio of Dave W (guitars), Ego Sensation
(bass) and Nick Name (drums) have again been recorded by Sonic Youth/Swans
producer Martin Bisi which will probably give you some idea of where their
sound is heading. With synthesizers and
vocals from W and Sensation, the sound is complete and it’s well worth a
listen.
Opener, InWords is a barrage of electronic programming
to create a blast of overloaded feedback and techno-screech from the
future. A short, but quite menacing
introduction before the mantra metal sound of new single In Your Room blasts
into your eardrums.
Where the album has
its biggest interest is where it changes style so dramatically. After the power-house sound of In Your Room,
there’s almost six minutes of drone in The Internal Monologue which is then
followed by what their PR info describes as “the post-Hawkwind
transmission” of the title track.
The
unusual mix of futuristic synths, drone and sometimes prog-rock is a hard one
to contemplate, but given the chance, it’s actually quite a sound, and, that is where this album succeeds. In true originality, it sticks a two-fingered
salute in the direction of music convention. Bravo!
Published on Louder Than War 9/08/13 - here
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