Album Review: White Orange

[ACID RAWK] The members of White Orange reference the use of psychedelics frequently when discussing their music, and to listen to the band's latest EP, Onawa, it becomes apparent these heavy rockers have indeed indulged in their fair share of mind-altering substances. The three songs follow the trajectory of your average trip: a slow build that gives way to a feeling of body-mind disconnect, followed by a steady melt back to reality. 

In White Orange's world, that comedown is an 11½-minute overload of Stooges-like wah-wah guitar and a steady pulse courtesy of drummer Dean Carroll. The landing is rough, to say the least, but the journey to get there is a pure delight. 

Opening track "Ehyeh" takes its time building in volume, never really hitting its peak until about halfway through its eight-minute running time. But once it does, Dustin Hill and Ryan McIntire cover everything with heaping globs of guitar thunder. "Either/Or," the electric middle track of this miniature epic, does everything in its considerable power to maintain the high. The band soars forth, only letting up on the gas pedal for the briefest of moments before slamming you back in your seat again. 

The next challenge for White Orange is to see if it can maintain these heights over the course of a full-length album. As with any addiction, these little teasers aren't going to be enough to get us by for much longer.

HEAR IT: Onawa is out Tuesday, Aug. 6.

WWeek 2015