As a stopgap between 2009’s
Fits and 2011’s
D,
White Denim released the free digital download
Last Day of Summer. With a title that could indicate the end of an era, and with the debut of new member guitarist
Austin Jenkins, the album found the band heading in a new direction (actually, all directions at once) and showcased the foursome at its most experimental. Presumably, most of the tracks were leftovers from the
D recording sessions, since that album was released only a few months later. Still, whether the songs are actual B-sides or just a chance for the band to blow off some warm steam in its off hours, the music was more challenging than one would expect from throwaways.
Last Day of Summer is surely weirder than their actual album material, but it’s compelling to watch a band rooted in garage rock go so far out of its comfort zone, try some uncharted styles (jazz, prog, tropicalia, and psych-folk), and still come up with some winners.