Album Review: White Fence - For The Recently Found Innocent

The pastoral psych pop journey through a parallel universe where it will always remain the ‘60s continues for White Fence into his sixth album.

Produced by life coach Ty Segall (Presley gives him huge kudos in the liner notes), the 13 tracks here explore a more stringent, focused songwriting style and is richer in scope because of it. The jangle, reverb and daydream highs still exist front and centre, but this is one trip unmarred by rushed passes, errant thoughts and throwaway riffs.

And yet… and yet. The clearing of the fidelity airs shines the light more intensely on the fact that these songs resemble the past to the point of brazenly cutting-and-pasting from greats and lesser-greats of yesteryear. It’s difficult to stay engaged in admittedly hook-laden cuts such as Like That or Hard Water once the final note fades out, especially when noting somewhat disparagingly how much like the Byrds or The Kinks that track was, to the point of piquing the interest to go and give those bands a listen instead. Presley has emulated his heroes, and with Segall in tow has allowed for a degree of sonic authenticity in showcasing that love.

But it still smacks of a regressive emulation – For The Recently Found Innocent doesn’t have an identity of its own, something that the white-noise no-fi elements in the past managed somewhat to mask. New horizons still await beyond the white fence.