Premiere: White Laces, “Crawl/Collapse”

The alleys, the streets, the corridors of parked cars, asphalt, and early 20th century style bungalow porches fit with tightly locked road bikes are lined with canopies of willow oaks and American elms in the Fan district of Richmond, VA. Rarely do adult kids use the GRTC (Greater Richmond Transit Company) to get from the 7-11 on Main and Harrison to Church Hill, Carytown, Jackson Ward, Manchester, or wherever else a Southern city day may take a Peter Pan in the midst of summer. Through the filter of a sullied windshield, Richmond filmmaker, Marleigh Culver, takes us on a ride in and around this area to accompany the first offering of White Laces’ debut LP, MOVES.

“Crawl/Collapse” winds, patiently, through airy kraut and breathy vocals to flex a new variety of “movement” for the quartet. The former raucous, nouveau psychedelia of their eponymous EP is stripped of its tethered dissonance in favor of gliding gaze that’s had kids at Richmond’s staple venue Strange Matter more than swaying in place. Last time we heard from Laces was their split 7” with Arches on “Dissolve into Color.” Fans of that won’t be disappointed, nor will the audience that has yet to catch them live.

MOVES is available on Speakertree Records come Aug. 21. The first 100 orders receive a limited-edition green vinyl.

Written by Mark Craig.