Album Details

• Artist: White Hills
• Album: Frying On This Rock
• Label: Thrill Jockey
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2012-03-06

White Hills duo guitarist Dave W. and bassist Ego Sensation know how to make a glorious noise. Joined this time by a couple buddies who help mix other tones into their stew, they infuse their latest massive sonic canvas with swirling over the edge space jams that retain a sense of coherence; that means that White Hills know exactly what they are doing on "Frying on This Rock,"  and exactly what they are capable of.

"Robot Stomp" is the centerpiece, a hypnotic, occasionally crazed and mind-numbing jam, that is both minimal and expansive, requiring a mastery of their sound that W. and Sensation obviously have. "You Dream You See" adds a classic rock feel, complete with mini-drum solo and "Whole Lotta Love" -esque swirling white noise.

Songs like "Song of Everything" trip things up here and there, but only momentarily.  For a good five minutes out this eight minute piece, we are treated to mostly spoken word with silence and ambience, one of those it-must-be-kinda-cool-stoned things; a great early riff lost in the shuffle.

"I Write a Thousand Letters (Pulp on Bone)" on the other hand, is another epic; not as coherent and powerful as "Robot," but still dizzying in the best way.

In all, "Frying on This Rock" is a sprawling behemoth full of tasty and harsh riffs and enough evocative sonic imagery for a couple records. White Hills triumph again by not playing it safe; their reckless explorations are now comforting for fans of fearless rock.

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