White Denim

“I’ve always wanted to make work that’s a reflection of my life experience,” says singer-guitarist James Petralli, leader of venturous L.A.-based rockers White Denim. “The just-below-the-surface significance to ‘13’ as an album title is that I was born on the thirteenth of August. ‘13’ in numerology can signify independence, creativity, and a solid foundation, but inversely is often considered to be unlucky and can signify chaos and misfortune. Like everyone, I can certainly see both sides in my life.”

‘13’ also happens to be the thirteenth album of White Denim’s career. An incandescent, groove-heavy alchemy of rock, funk, dub, soul and down-dirty blues – and plenty more besides – it’s imbued with the same questing spirit that’s been the band’s trademark since first starting in Austin, Texas, some 20 years ago.

Petralli’s wide-ranging musical appetites have become more voracious over time. The sounds and textures of ‘13’ are informed by everyone from Scritti Politti to The Gap Band, Terry Reid to King Tubby, Caetano Veloso to John Cale, Stevie Wonder to ‘80s-era Steve Winwood. Such diversity is reflected in multi-faceted gems like “(God Created) Lock And Key”, “Only A Fool” and “That’s Rap”.

The seed of the project is rooted in the irresistible “Chew Nails”. “It’s a straightforward glam-rock tune,” says Petralli. “My take on the ‘New York Groove’, which is itself a take on the Bo Diddley beat. It has a big ol’ guitar riff and a singalong chorus. It’s familiar territory for me, yet the vocal is perhaps more forward than most things I’ve done for the band. It’s the song that made me feel like I was definitely making a White Denim album.”

The duality of ‘13’ is immediately apparent. The pungent funk-blues of opener “(God Created) Lock And Key” begins with a piece of waggish self-mythology – “On the thirteenth day God created White Denim…” – but soon goes somewhere darker. “This is a Beefheart / Sun Ra sort of thing,” Petralli explains. “I hope that it’s a somewhat terrifying, startling, and visceral piece for everyone that hears it. Everything I say in that song is the truth. It's about power, generational cycles of abuse, shame, violence, and survival. The things that we all understand and know and see and push down to get through the day.”

Elsewhere, the temperate “Time Time” heads into the kind of soulful, horn-gilded territory that earmarked White Denim’s previous album, 2024’s critically lauded ‘12’. Here, Petralli addresses the roll of the years, creative freedom and the importance of family: “It’s a sort of promise that, as long as I’m alive, I will try to prioritise my wife and children and our relationships above all else.” This is a key theme of ‘13’. “I felt that I had to write about my life and experience as a middle-aged dad trying to do better for a family and make sense of this life through making art,” he adds.

A similar sensibility drives the fabulous “Earth To”, a hallucinatory piece of self-reflection that charts Petralli’s journey thus far. Though, as ever with White Denim, it also speaks to the universal. “If you zoom out a little bit, the song is ultimately a sort of takedown of the American dream,” he says.

Then there’s “Keep Calling Me (Baby)”, which rides a fine line between dubby calypso and shimmery sunshine-pop. Petralli likens it to “sort of Ace of Base meets Cyndi Lauper meets Roy Orbison in my mind. Nick Lowe’s ‘Jesus Of Cool’ tells me it’s OK to do whatever you want. He gave me permission to do this one.”

The song features band members Michael Hunter (keyboards) and Cat Clemons (guitar), alongside original drummer Josh Block, who, having also journeyed west from Texas in recent times, is now Petralli’s neighbour. Block’s presence on ‘13’ - alongside the likes of Matt Young (drums, percussion), Jesse Chandler (clarinet, sax, flute), Kosta Galanoupolis (bass), and Dawes siblings Griffin and Taylor Goldsmith – highlights both the fluid nature of latter-day White Denim and Petralli’s determination to honour the band’s initial directive.

Also aboard is fellow original, bassist Steve Terebecki. “I wouldn’t call a project White Denim if it didn't include significant contributions from another founding member of the group,” asserts Petralli. “‘12’ and ‘13’ both feature Josh and Steve in various capacities. I recorded and arranged these last two records for the most part, but I really don’t ever want to be alone. Music has given me a place and purpose in this world. And it’s been the primary way I’ve connected with other people over the years.”

‘13’ proves that Petralli continues to do so. And in imperious style.