Tim Presley's White Fence : I Have To Feed Larry's Hawk

Tim Presley warns “There’s always a danger in leaving the past ” on the song “Fog City “ from White Fence’s latest album, I Have To Feed Larry’s Hawk. Long time fans know that Tim began leaving his past some time ago. After 2014’s last proper White Fence album, For The Recently Found Innnocent, Tim paired up with Cate Lebon for experimental pop excursions with their new project Drinks. Following Drinks, came Tim’s first solo album Wink, which definitely took cues from his collaboration with Drinks’ off kilter stylings and even had production duties by Cate Lebon. By the time Presley and Ty Segall’s collaboration as Hair released their follow-up album in 2018, the songs bore little semblance to the garage -psych from their self titled 2012 release and seemed to have more in common with the Lebon era of writing and recording.

With …Larry’s Hawk, Tim Presley turns in his first album as Tim Presley’s White Fence, the first indication that something is different… yet the same. The first obvious shift on this collection of songs is that there are less guitars ringing through these songs, with plucky minimal piano featuring more prominently. Trading in his trade mark guitar stylings is a ballsy move , and one that pays off. What remains from the sonic face lift, is Tim’s unmatched sense of exploration, and penchant for writing songs that slowly reveal themselves and their melodic treasures. From the moment the sinister Twilight Zone-esque self-titled opening track starts, the listener embarks on a journey into the creator’s mind perhaps more so than on any other album. The simple repetitive keyboard line twinkles despondently, perhaps reflecting the monotonous task of feeding Larry’s hawk. The title, it has been said being a metaphor to feeding one’s addiction, wether that be chemical or emotional, or perhaps the laborous tasks one might use to distract themselves from a destructive pattern. The almost lo-fi quality of the recording services the album’s whole by completely removing any reference to time and place.

Phone has Presley plucking the piano, plaintively calling out to someone to call on the phone. Scratchy guitars linger behind the looping piano while distorted voices materialize to close out the track. I Love You is the first traditionally sounding White Fence song on the album, but it hangs towards the style of songs that Tim put down for last year’s Ty Segall Collaboration JOY. Falling on the side of restraint over bombast, the guitars deliver shades of Byrdsian sunbaked revelry over Tim’s realization of love. Lorelei is a beautiful amalgamation of jangly guitar stabs, wobbly synths and minimal beatbox, sounding like a distant cousin from 2013’s Cyclops Reap. It’s a great example of the new arrangements bearing fruit. Neighbourhood Light completes the trilogy of guitar songs on …Larry’s Hawk. Chugging along with nonchalant swagger, it would have felt at home on either of the Family Perfume volumes.

The piano ballad I Can See You, is raw and emotional, Tim sounding as though the rest of the world has folded around him and his piano. Until You Walk, I Saw Snow Today and Indisposed recall the quirky pop experimentalism of LeBon collaboration Drinks, adding new colours to White Fence’s expanding palette. The album ends with with two bizarre entries, Harm Reduction (A:Morning) and Harm Reduction (B: Street & Inside Mind). The two pieces of synth loops, bubble along for eighteen minutes add odd sounds, dipping in and out of the tracks mesmerizing swirl. It’s easy to get lost in the closing tracks bubbly minimilist meditation, and maybe that’s the point. Initially, there is a desperation or dark cloud that hovers over this album, It’s personal but not excluding, but within the personal fog, there is a sense of playfulness, and discovery. It’s impression on me growing more and more with each listen. The collection of songs here deserve to be played as a whole. Listen twice daily and repeat.

You can buy I Have to Feed Larry’s Hawk at Drag City.