White Fence
Tim Presley, the musician behind White Fence, is not the reincarnation of John Lennon. He’s not even English — he’s from San Francisco. Yet it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume that the psychedelic guitar lines and British-accented vocals that make up the songs of For the Recently Found Innocent were plucked straight from Lennon himself. Twangy guitar lines, pleasant melodies and a sense of dreamy lethargy make up nearly every track on the record, giving it a distinct sense of being channeled straight from the ’60s or early ’70s and brought here for a new generation of music lovers.
Presley entered the music world playing for the hardcore punk band The Nerve Agents before founding his own psychedelic rock band, Darker My Love, in 2004. His newest project, White Fence, released its first album in 2010 and, until this album, consisted of lo-fi bedroom recordings.
Evidently, though, his 2012 collaboration with Ty Segall, Hair, is continuing to pay off, as Segall produced this album, making it the first of White Fence’s releases to take advantage of actual recording studio technology and move beyond his previously simple approach. He’s even brought along other musicians, making this band an actual, well, band.
Does the move pay off? It’s a common complaint among lo-fi purists to insist that an artist has “sold out” when he or she moves from the “more authentic” sounds of bedroom recordings into an actual studio, but despite the advantages of the lo-fi aesthetic, more often than not most musicians won’t turn down the chance to record with a good producer. It’s mostly a good decision for White Fence, as now the project can expand, allowing Presley’s voice to stand out more clearly through the improved soundscape.
Presley’s still a talented musician, and the 13 songs that make up the album are well-constructed and sound cleaner and more polished than his previous work. Those averse to clean-sounding music shouldn’t worry, as it doesn’t sound overproduced or cloying, but rather more like the sound Presley was imagining he could one day create when he started creafting his lo-fi music. Particular highlights include the faster and poppier “Like That,” the garage-rock riff-out “Arrow Man” and the more than five-minute swirling collection of shorter pieces “Wolf Gets Red Faced.”
Yet for all its strengths, the album fails to really stand out, either amid the hordes of psychedelic ’60s-throwback music or even within itself. Even after a few listens, it’s hard to pick individual songs out from one another, as each blends together in a haze of midtempo swirling sounds and Lennon-esque faux-English vocals. White Fence has only been around since 2010, and already this is Presley’s sixth album under the name. Perhaps he’s stretching himself a bit thin with all these songs.
Overall, those still looking for a hit of the good old-fashioned ’60s music will find a lot to like in For the Recently Found Innocent. It’s well-produced and features a number of solid songs from a talented musician. However, those looking for something truly original will have to keep searching.
