7/10

Having lost two of their members to fellow Texan Leon Bridges since the release of their last album, White Denim have managed to return with something a little more old school than their latest material. Fans of the band will have seen them mellow out on their later releases, but album number six sees them return back to their rock-out-roots and deliver some beauties along the way.

From the start, 'Stiff' is your typical Southern US rock record. With a strong influence from blues and soul music running richly throughout, this new release sees the band almost reinventing themselves as they try to move forward with their sound. Riff heavy tracks like 'Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)' and 'Real Deal Momma' make for the stand out listens on this new record as the juxtaposition of fast and slow sometimes affects the pace of the album, and sometimes disrupts its uptempo flow.

A competent return from this lot, if not a little confusing in places. The band are clearly looking to become something new but this album doesn't quite have enough to see them as a complete reinvention. More of a halfway point to the next phase in their musical direction.