Following their second album, 2019's
Forever Turned Around
, by a year,
Candid
reimagines songs by other artists that have inspired and connected emotionally with
Whitney
founders
Julien Ehrlich
and
Max Kakacek
. It was recorded live in the studio in early 2020 with their complete touring lineup, including no less than three guitarists and brass. Although sourced from a variety of styles,
, like
's first two long-players, locks into a warm, late-summer tranquility that puts their trademark pastoral spin on contemporary R&B material like
Kelela
's "Band Head" and even synthesized dance-funk in the case of
David Byrne
Brian Eno
's "Strange Overtones." "Band Head" opens the ten-track set by translating the original's percussion and subtle electronic hooks into elemental guitar, keys, and bass drum, as
Ehrlich
's flaxen-toned falsetto delivers lines about physical attraction and moving slowly. Another R&B inspiration,
SWV
, appears later in the track list ("Rain"). Elsewhere, a relatively loyal cover of
the Roches
' "Hammond Song" again softens textures in a live performance that is later overdubbed by only horns and a slide-guitar solo. (It comes advertised as a
's longest track to this point, at five minutes.) Covers of more like-minded artists, like
Damien Jurado
Labi Siffre
, are also included here, as is a memorable, earnest take on
John Denver
's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" that sees
joined on vocals by
Waxahatchee
's
Katie Crutchfield
.
's mellow transcriptions and restrained approach may or may not draw praise from admirers of the source material, but they're a must for fans of the group's distinctly reflective demeanor and bubble-wrapped ambiance, which, guided by
's soothing presence, succeed in making each version their own. ~ Marcy Donelson