The debut solo album from drummer Jim White is necessarily full of beats. It's full of smacks on skins, thumps, and whacks too. Still, as "Soft Material", a lush number co-written by Guy Picciotto (Fugazi, Rites of Spring) makes clear, there's warmth and melody within reach. Even for a drummer.
All Hits: Memories, out this week on Drag City veers between pummelling percussion workouts like on "Curtains" and a few other selections here, and material that is more nuanced. "Uncoverup" marries a scattershot jazz-bo pattern against keyboard hints, until "Walking the Block" arrives and crashes things together with more force. This one was co-written with previous White collaborator George Xylouris as well as Guy Picciotto and it suggests chaos about to be unleashed. It's brief, like many of the pieces here, but no less insistent and fresh.
A drummer's drummer, Jim White commands on All Hits: Memories. There's little here that is him showing off, but rather his playing suggests a riot, or a storm. The longer "Long Assemblage" is like the record in miniature, with White riding the toms, cymbals, and snare drum with glee. One of the rare drummers who understands the power of the beats not hit, Jim White's debut is one of this week's real pleasant surprises.
All Hits: Memories by Jim white is out this week on Drag City.
[Photo: Sarah K.]