Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The final Codeine release, The White Birch, finds the band stretching out more beyond its usual style here and there, while still pretty much sounding like it always has. It's not quite a case of "heard one, heard them all," but at points, it's hard to see how they would have continued without completely repeating themselves. There is a slight change in the lineup, with Douglas Scharin replacing Chris Brokaw, at that time fully involved with Come, on drums, while David Grubbs once again guests, playing guitar on "Tom" and "Wird." He's not fully noticeable on either track per se, but his playing doesn't take away anything from the overall mood or performance either. John Engle's own lead guitar work here often has a stronger, stentorian sense of playing than before, in part resulting from the greater sense of space in a number of songs. While there was a relative calm on moments of Frigid Stars, here there's even more of it -- it's not quite relaxed, but allows more stripped-down moments to come in along with the thicker roil of cuts like "Vacancy" and the searing, compressed snarl on "Washed Up." The opening cut "Sea" captures that well, especially given that Stephen Immerwahr's vocals are as lost and murky in the mix as they've ever been. Other moments betray what sounds like a Slint touch here and there, not surprising given the Louisville connection via Grubbs and others (indeed, Louisville as a whole is specifically thanked in the credits). Scharin, meanwhile, throws in a couple of extra fills and subtle touches along the way, though whether this results from what he brings to the band or just a change in style is not immediately apparent. Ending with the soft contemplation of "Smoking Room," White Birch sees out Codeine's career on a strong enough note.
© Ned Raggett /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Dust Index, MusicPublisher - Codeine, MainArtist - Covertly Canadian Publishing, MusicPublisher
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Dust Index, MusicPublisher - Codeine, MainArtist - Covertly Canadian Publishing, MusicPublisher
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Dust Index, MusicPublisher - Codeine, MainArtist - Covertly Canadian Publishing, MusicPublisher
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Dust Index, MusicPublisher - Codeine, MainArtist - Covertly Canadian Publishing, MusicPublisher
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Dust Index, MusicPublisher - Codeine, MainArtist - Covertly Canadian Publishing, MusicPublisher
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Dust Index, MusicPublisher - Codeine, MainArtist - Covertly Canadian Publishing, MusicPublisher
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Dust Index, MusicPublisher - Codeine, MainArtist - Covertly Canadian Publishing, MusicPublisher
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Dust Index, MusicPublisher - Codeine, MainArtist - Covertly Canadian Publishing, MusicPublisher
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Dust Index, MusicPublisher - Codeine, MainArtist - Covertly Canadian Publishing, MusicPublisher
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Album review
The final Codeine release, The White Birch, finds the band stretching out more beyond its usual style here and there, while still pretty much sounding like it always has. It's not quite a case of "heard one, heard them all," but at points, it's hard to see how they would have continued without completely repeating themselves. There is a slight change in the lineup, with Douglas Scharin replacing Chris Brokaw, at that time fully involved with Come, on drums, while David Grubbs once again guests, playing guitar on "Tom" and "Wird." He's not fully noticeable on either track per se, but his playing doesn't take away anything from the overall mood or performance either. John Engle's own lead guitar work here often has a stronger, stentorian sense of playing than before, in part resulting from the greater sense of space in a number of songs. While there was a relative calm on moments of Frigid Stars, here there's even more of it -- it's not quite relaxed, but allows more stripped-down moments to come in along with the thicker roil of cuts like "Vacancy" and the searing, compressed snarl on "Washed Up." The opening cut "Sea" captures that well, especially given that Stephen Immerwahr's vocals are as lost and murky in the mix as they've ever been. Other moments betray what sounds like a Slint touch here and there, not surprising given the Louisville connection via Grubbs and others (indeed, Louisville as a whole is specifically thanked in the credits). Scharin, meanwhile, throws in a couple of extra fills and subtle touches along the way, though whether this results from what he brings to the band or just a change in style is not immediately apparent. Ending with the soft contemplation of "Smoking Room," White Birch sees out Codeine's career on a strong enough note.
© Ned Raggett /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 9 track(s)
- Total length: 00:42:58
- Main artists: Codeine
- Label: Numero Group
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
2022 Numero Group 2022 Numero Group
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.