Workout Holiday

Austin’s White Denim don’t so much wear their influences on their sleeves as have them tattooed all over their biceps in Indian ink. Workout Holiday, their debut record, is positively brimming with old-school references, taking in everyone from Sly Stone to Iggy’s Stooges to Hawkwind. Yep, Hawkwind. In other words, Workout Holiday is a mess, but a loveable mess in many ways. The bass sounds as warm and fuzzy as your grandfather’s favourite stories, the guitar has just the right amount of sloppiness, and James Petralli’s vocals call to mind a strangely welcome mix of Bolan and Hendrix (listen to the T. Rex-tastic ‘Heart From Us All’ and you’ll see what we mean).
Where Workout Holiday falls down, however, is in the originality stakes. If you’ve listened to rock ‘n’ roll for any length of time at all, you’ll recognise most of these licks, and the lo-fi recording can sound a little dusty at times. Ultimately though, if you can succumb to the guilty pleasures of dad-rock, it’s a fun listen. Just don’t expect anything cutting edge.

Key Track: ‘Heart From Us All’