Ice Cream Chords
VF14, 2022
8/10
The veteran songsmith Ward White returns with his 14th album, and it’s full of ‘50s doo-wop nods alongside White’s inimitable and enjoyable voice.
“Shorter” opens the listen with White’s smooth, deep voice amid Mark Stepro’s precise drumming in the melodic pop-rock landscape, and “Rumors” follows with a bit of ruggedness that balances the driving guitars and scrappy drumming that tips its hat to the ‘80s.
The title track lands in the middle and trims the pace back with much emphasis on mood in the dreamy climate, while “Born Again” leaps into vibrant and animated glam-rock that’s harmonically charming.
Arriving near the end, “Signore” offers a very mature, breezy display of poetic songwriting, and “Slouch” exits the listen with a shimmering, nostalgic pop approach that’s immediately mesmerizing.
It’s not hard to imagine legends like Bowie, Costello or Ferry when listening to White’s craft, and his strong attention to singing, guitar and bass, along with Stepro’s drums and Tyler Chester’s keyboards, makes for a timeless body of work in the area of art-influenced pop and rock.
Travels well with: Kelly Hogan- I Like To Keep Myself In Pain; Dizzy Box Nine- Radio Fiction