I’ve loved this Austin, TX band for years and I think this twelfth album (wow!) is their finest work yet. There’s still that classic White Denim sound of alt-Southern-rock meets neo-soul and psych, but it’s elevated sonically with wonderfully composed synths and strings. It’s also a little funkier, a little sexier, a little more groovy and danceable. There have been some lineup changes but according to frontman James Petralli the group is more of a true band than ever with the new band members contributing more than in the past.

That said I think a lot of the new magic here is James fully producing the record himself. There’s a level of detail that takes it to a whole new level of psychedelic and groovy. Some of the production details- with the synths and vocal effects and mixing and such- almost remind me of legendary work like Robert Schneiders later Apples In Stereo albums, Panda Bears recent collaborations, or stuff like !!! (Chk Chk Chk) or Deerhoof.

James cites Scritti Politti’s Cupid and Psyche (1985) as the primary influence for his new maximalist sound, which is a great pull. Still you can attribute a lot of the sound here to simply more time in the mix, more of all the stuff that makes up him as an artist being able to shine through a new studio approach. I’m excited to see the live band give these songs a new workout on the floor.

If you’ve heard nothing from White Denim or you’ve just forgotten about them for a few years, now is the time to tap back in. “12” is the sound of an experienced artist digging even deeper and finding himself as energetic and interesting as the day he started.