White Denim

When a band's first album is unpredictable enough to invoke
comparisons with artists as wildly diverse as hardcore innovators the
Minutemen and professorial idiosyncrasy of Randy Newman, then you can
reasonably assume its been made by people who care about music. Lots
of it. Jazz, punk, funk, country, acid rock, even piano ballads -- all
these labels have been used, accurately, to describe White Denim.
Their second record is more problematic though. It has to sound like
them.

Fits; the title is both a knowingly bad pun and a reference to the odd
tantrum endured in its creation- manages just that. Anyone familiar
with the ferocious drive of the Texan trio's renowned live shows,
where songs merge into each other and the playing guides the direction
of the performance, will recognize their approach. Recorded and
produced by the band in their infamous studio/trailer, Fits is more
coherent than debut Workout Holiday, yet sacrifices none of its
imagination. Though there's barely a pause between tracks the set ebbs
and flows, ranging from the soft-hearted to the ferocious.

The band describes it, with only light sarcasm, as The Friendship
Record. 'We were congratulating each other for having good ideas,"
says singer/guitarist James Petralli of the sessions, "We went through
a lot of positive and negative things and came out of it a lot
closer."

For all the contemplation, Fits is effortlessly fun. There are more
elements of jazz and soul than previously. Vocals sit in the mix
rather than on top, effectively another instrument. The playing is,
again, deft without being showy, and there are melodic hooks to spare.
So what's the secret? "We set the tempos high and set off," says
Petralli. It's that simple. And it works. In spades.