White Denim – Stiff

On Stiff, White Demin really put their backs in to it – infinite solos, myriad breakdowns, hooks on hooks on power chords and huge, brash intros... but for all that sweat, you're left cold and a bit clammy.

The band are approaching their ten-year anniversary, and recently rearranged their line-up. So perhaps it's a slight touch of overcompensation that sees White Denim put the pedal to the floor so vigorously, but their thrill-a-second tactics leave nothing to the imagination. The clichéd rhyming couplets arrive thick and fast: "Riddled with desii-yah... my love is pure fiyah," we hear on 'Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)'.

The record’s less bombastic tracks have the squeaky syrup of early noughties RnB – which may or may not be pleasing. Stiff is better when it's slower, but it still feels like riding a rollercoaster that's all climb and no twist.