In a time of high saturation, where quality music is being produced everywhere, it can be difficult to distinguish yourself, especially if your intent is to really turn some heads. Luckily, White Fence (aka Tim Presley), is up to the task. His latest release, I Have to Feed Larry’s Hawk, is a visceral experience; meandering through expansive and wildly different sounds, Presley pushes music into boundaries. From shimmering, Wonka-esque psychedelia to dissonant repetition, this is a vast and compelling record.
The music here is not unlike a Wes Anderson soundtrack, but for all of his movies at once. From a hobo river stomp soaked in reverb and old-timey piano to futuristic grooves and clonky song structures, Presley is hard at work keeping the listener on their toes. His music emulates and expands on a variety of influences, from The Rolling Stones to David Bowie, Frank Zappa to the Grateful Dead, Bruce Hampton to Captain Beefheart, The Beatles to Ween. Presley manages to break these elements down to their building blocks and rebuild them as something refreshing and intriguing.
One of the most striking aspects of this album is the way the momentum can shift into serious emotional territory, with glimmering melodies and an almost classical feel to the composition, the descent into utter chaos, the complete shift in direction, and the resolution of the theme at the end of an extended break of stream-of-consciousness sonic experimentation. Kraftwerk-style robotic melodies intertwine with spacy desert rock and bubbly synth effects, all within the same song. The final two songs in particular are praiseworthy: “Harm Reduction (Morning)” and “Harm Reduction (Street & Inside Mind)” are absolutely gorgeous, and the perfect way to end such a thrilling musical experience.
This is one of those records where recommending any starting point is pointless; I Have to Feed Larry’s Hawk should be consumed in one sitting, as a meditative experience, a creative journey through sound and space. The sheer breadth and variety of material here is immediately appealing, and the talent with which it is executed is on full display. This will not be leaving rotation any time soon.
