The Bottom Line: Looking for new and different music? Why not check out Jim White's newest Drill a Hole in that Substrate and Tell Me What You See. Prepare to be amazed.
lambchops's Full Review: Drill A Hole In That Substrate And Tell Me What Yo...
After two critically heralded yet commercially ignored albums, Jim White returns for round three with the glorious Drill a Hole in that Substrate and Tell Me What You See. One listen to White and the reason for his distinct lack of commercial attention will be obvious. His songs are immediately appealing, but none is a hit. Rather, all three of White’s albums are best appreciated in their intended form—as one cohesive work of art and with an open mind.
White is a master at his medium. He is a skilled, mysterious storyteller with the ability to convey images, touch the heart, and make you feel his own angst all in the span of a breath. His songs are tiny snippets of the deepest, darkest parts of his heart. Listening to a Jim White song is like tasting a bit of his soul. I really can’t say enough about this uniquely talented singer-songwriter.
The “unique” part of Jim White is what makes him special. Unfortunately his music will not connect with some listeners because of its strangeness. A mix of experimental, pop, country, electronica, folk, and backwoods traditional he will either prove to be the most impressive thing you’ve ever heard or absolutely impossible to connect with. Of course, I am a huge fan of the Pensacola, Florida native and Drill a Hole in that Substrate and Tell Me What You See just further solidifies my belief that White is a highly talented and unbelievably fascinating modern visionary.
To date, my favorite White album is No Such Place (with debut Wrong-Eyed Jesus close behind). But with that said, I think that Drill a Hole… is probably vastly more appealing to a wider audience. It is genuinely tender but lacks hokey sentimentality. The songs sound great, feel wonderful, and even more importantly smack of (here’s the fabled “g” word) genius. Indeed this is one of those special albums and will indubitably be one of the most perfect of the year. Maybe, just maybe if the moon and stars are properly aligned White will get the credit he has long been due in response to this amazing effort.
White’s talent is finally catching on amongst people in the music industry. He’s joined time to time by fellow luminaries like Aimee Mann (Static on the Radio) and Barenaked Ladies (Alabama Chrome). Despite the occasional helping hand, the album and its eleven songs are pure Jim White—spooky, warm, eccentric, and incredibly literate material from a man who only stepped into the spotlight as he closed in on his fifth decade of life.
Drill a Hole… is produced by a kindred spirit, singer-songwriter Joe Henry. On this effort, Henry helps the always experimenting White to return to the direction of his debut Wrong-Eyed Jesus. He drops most of the Godfrey-esque electronic style of No Such Place (save for a few modest moments), and instead concentrates on the melody. In the end it works wonderfully and Drill a Hole proves for a third time in a row that White cannot and should not be ignored.
Sauntering onto the stereo with the foreboding, darkly catchy lounge-country of Static on the Radio, White’s voice is crystalline and boyish just barely in front of the magical melody and beautifully augmented by Aimee Man’s uneasy vocals. There is so much about this song to love from the strange arrangement which goes perfectly with White’s though-provoking lyrics. White has never been afraid of change or growth or going with the producer’s direction. Drill a Hole… is no exception. Henry’s jazzy hand is heavy but it meshes seamlessly with White’s uneasy vision. It is a consistent, cohesive, and truly outstanding effort. One song slides into the next. From Static on the Radio through the last notes of the Paul Rabjohns/Jim White produced song Land Called Home I am impressed. Some songs just slip into the background, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They still make me hurt for White. He possesses the keen and unusual ability to draw the listener into his dank, impressionistic world on songs including the languid Bluebird and the aforementioned hidden Land Called Home.
It is impossible to point to one song or another and say it’s my favorite. Combing My Hair in a Brand New Style is funky and jazzy. The trumpet meshes wonderfully with White’s plainly spoken lyrics. It is also difficult to not notice the supporting vocals from Marc Anthony Thompson and Linda Delgado. Really, it’s something to behold and impossible to do real justice to using mere words. That Girl from Brownsville Texas, If Jesus Drove a Motor Home and Buzzards of Love are also worth mentioning. White is consistently perfect.
However I do have to admit to preferring to White’s self-produced tracks. Phone Booth in Heaven and Borrowed Wings are unquestionably the high point of his third album, and rightfully so since he has the best understanding of his vision. Borrowed Wings features White on vocals, but also on a banjo. This banjo paired with the sparse production and wobbly arrangement is painstakingly balanced on the precipice of insanity. Phone Booth in Heaven strikes me in a much a similar manner. There might now be a banjo, but the backwoods sentimentality is brought forth by the pedal steel, saw, and accordion. And the lyrics? Well, they are definitely odd but also at the same time warm:
Remembering them days, how we wore our weakness well.
There’s some say that heaven can’t exist without hell,
well if the proof’s in the pudding, and that axiom’s true,
somehow the heart of the matter escaped me and you.
For those who plant nothing but the seeds of the falling
there is a phone booth in heaven that no one is calling.
Though the ghosts of redemption might whisper odd promises,
I for one don’t put much faith in them specters.
Finally, worth mentioning is the uncharacteristically lighthearted Alabama Chrome (co-produced by White and the Barenaked Ladies). On one hand it seems to be out of place on the album, but then again it is still dark and foreboding—until of course you get to the chorus which is backed by vocals from BNL. I like it, just not as much as the other ten songs available on Drill a Hole…
Jim White is a very special and uniquely gifted individual. There are very few singer-songwriters in the world today getting any exposure that are this creatively free. Drill a Hole in that Substrate and Tell Me What You See is an impeccable album. I do still prefer No Such Place for its truly bizarre combination of folk, electronica, and country but I can’t help and think that this is the true Jim White. He is truly a talent.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Static on the Radio
02. Bluebird
03. Combing My Hair in a Brand New Style
04. That Girl from Brownsville Texas
05. Borrowed Wings
06. If Jesus Drove a Motor Home
07. Objects in Motion
08. Buzzards of Love
09. Alabama Chrome
10. Phone Booth in Heaven
11. Land Called Home [unlisted]
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