White Hills
“White Hills”
Thrill Jockey Records
Set to come out in Feb 2010 this release by White Hills nods with a pretty epic tune into spacerock come down music, could I wish to stay awake? Just leads me into getting distracted and making this review hard to write about at first listen. These might be tunes you put on to bum someones hip hop party, but unless you live in a squat, this ones for you.
I can appreciate this type of reincarnation of a sludgier Hawkwind though, it reminds me of the same production Comets on Fire used on Blue Cathedral, a not so big departure from their earlier stuff which kinda sounded like Can or some krautrock band, but a bit more polished but still has the same panache of the other records.
I find it hard to have patience sometimes with these types of bands though because of all the noodlin of crazy jams. I mean the opener “Dead” is pretty rad along with “We Will Rise” …hmm maybe they’re the type of band you need to stay clear of rubbing one out in yer brain before you listen to, but with these bands what do you expect. I most likely wouldn’t wanna see these guys play unless I’m out on some field gallivanting with prince Valium then maybe I could see myself headbanging to this with a fellow space cadet. “Glacier” sounds like your stuck inside a car during a car wash next to a factory, its a transport into unnerving part and into the last song, “Polvere Di Stelle,” which is the strongest song I think cuz it shows everything the band could ever be good at, but next time lets shorten them to Spiritualized length size songs, and you’ll have yourself a solid heavy rocknroll record.
Must admit these guy having recorded this record over the course of 3 days in the summer of 2009, and having Kid Millions from Onieda (formerly of Adhesive X and Pocket Monster) pounding the shit out of the drums and specially on one I’ve come to love, “Counting Sevens.” ..If the Verve ever sounded this heavy I bet this is how they would sound like… this record comes around and gets a nod from me.
Make sure to look out for these guys when they tour next year with Pontiak in Europe next year.
