White Laces – Moves

Following WHITE LACES since the beginning makes the release of their debut LP Moves all the sweeter. As time went by these guys only got smarter and this album proves that again and again.

Coming from Speakertree Records, the Richmond, VA natives in White Laces have definitely left us with something special in Moves. Said best by the folks at Speakertree, “Moves is an undeniable force, delivering 8 well-crafted pop songs that float from the mesmerizing cool to the intensely immediate, often times within moments.” Even if I tried I couldn’t have explained the album in such a precise manner, so you might want to let that sink in. And if you caught our premier of “Invocation” in August, then you might already have an idea of what to expect with Moves.

The eight songs on the tracklist offer a peculiar dichotomy throughout the album, showing off excellent song-craft in tracks that somehow manage to be as thrilling as they are soothing. A song like “Parallel Chills” speaks to this with its eerie, swirling backdrop, revealing a buzzing, submarine-like bass that sits deep below the mix. These peaceful vibes float along effortlessly until the track suddenly bursts open with jangly guitars, now bringing us through a bolder, yet still subtle atmosphere. Moving back toward the beginning of the album, “Heavy Nights” keeps that “mesmerizing cool” flowing strong with its tricky guitars. The track starts out somewhat lite, eventually expanding in size with vivid synth washes in the background. Within the last minute, the stunning track solidifies – a punchy bass line and crashing drums locks everything into place, wrapping it all up with a wave of rollicking guitar heat.

Aside from these, the LP is still brimming with highlights. “Carrousel” undoubtedly falls into the ‘thrilling’ category with its perpetual pulsing rhythm, never missing a beat throughout with its palpable, frothy atmosphere. Unsettling guitars descend into the cold and chilling depths, bringing back up a blast of crashing fury that helps seal up the track. The LP closes out with the remarkable “Crawl/Collapse,” arguably showing off their most intoxicating formula of such heavenly guitar tones. Almost right away we’re lost in this alluring tangle, soaring through the rapturous haze of this propulsive track until the song begins to stumble and lose its footing. It begins to transform about halfway through, carefully morphing with a strung-out, ambient texture that serves as the total opposite of how it began. And with all that being said, there’s not another track on here that so accurately falls into this “intense-to-cool” description as this.

Get your fill of White Laces debut LP with these impressive tracks below. Since you probably can’t resist, head over to Speakertree Records where you can buy your own copy of the LP. The first 100 copies come on green vinyl, so if color vinyl is your thing you definitely don’t want to sleep on this one. This stuff definitely has the potential to catch on hard.

Heavy Nights –

Impossible Windows –

Carrousel –

My Rating: SS
Genre/ Tags: Alternative, Pop, Ambient, Noise Rock
Moves LP: Tracklist:
1.) Trading
2.) Invocation
3.) Heavy Nights
4.) ////////
5.) Impossible Windows
6.) Carrousel
7.) Twinning
8.) Parallel Chills
9.) Crawl/Collapse

BUY the LP directly from Speakertree Records – limited to 500, first 100 on green vinyl !
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Past Related Posts:
Find White Laces in our Top 10 EPs of 2011
“Invocation” Premier (08/08/12)
Arches Split 7″ (Worthless Junk)
s/t EP (Shdwply Records)