ALBUM OF THE DAY
Album of the Day: Paul White, “Rejuvenate”
By Marcus J. Moore · May 01, 2018 Merch for this release:
Vinyl LP

Paul White has always thrown things against the wall to see what sticks. As a beatmaker for rappers Open Mike Eagle, Homeboy Sandman, and Danny Brown, White creates vast kaleidoscopic melodies that sample everything from African disco and psych-rock, to grainy folk and old soul. His music embodies the persona of its lead MC, and in the case of Brown (on his critically acclaimed 2016 album Atrocity Exhibition), White’s score felt dark and cavernous, clattering beneath the rapper’s distinctive squeal.

White’s solo projects have been equally disjointed on purpose: 2010’s Paul White and the Purple Brain and 2011’s Rapping with Paul White were kitchen sink records that put the composer’s grand affinities on full display, and paired obscure vocal clips with percussive space funk and electronica. For 2014’s Shaker Notes, White ditched the samples and shifted his sound to a more laid-back one. Gone were the rap-inspired beats, in were the atmospheric live arrangements.

For Rejuvenate, White shifts gears yet again, eschewing the overcast vibe of Shaker Notes for something a little edgier and straightforward. Mixing rock, ambient, electro-soul, and acid jazz, Rejuvenate might be White’s most accessible release, yet the music is still esoteric enough to satisfy the producer’s fanbase. Where White’s previous output seemed to have a wide-ranging international focus, Rejuvenate is progressive pop influenced by the likes of Zero 7, early Sia, and The Foreign Exchange. Featuring singers Denai Moore, Shungudzo, and Paul’s own sister Sarah Williams White, it’s a meditative release that’s less about the shock and awe of White’s sonic palate, and more about establishing a relaxed atmosphere for his guest’s hearty affirmations. “Laugh With Me” is about just that—the freedom of cracking a smile with loved ones by the sea.

The title track is sunny and stampeding, a beachy instrumental with light guitar chords and echoed synths that punctuate the album’s breezy aura. Rejuvenate is the record you play by the pool, or during long drives along the coast. The tone is surprising given the dystopian nature of his older beats, yet with Rejuvenate, White proves that he’s an accomplished orchestrator, capable of making complex art far beyond anyone’s expectations.

Marcus J. Moore

 

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