WHITE FENCE - Orange

There's no telling why Tim Presley waited a full seven years before dusting off the White Fence project, but what's certain is that after the romantic and professional breakup with Cate Le Bon, the musician found in old friend Ty Segall the shoulder to lean on for a return to recording that breaks a long silence, during which Tim had turned his attention to other interests (visual art, poetry and books).

That "Orange" is a therapeutic record for him comes naturally: it's an introspective journey through which Tim confronts not only heartbreak but also the specter of drug addiction, a rehabilitation process that has now lasted a full ten years. For an artist whose resume also boasts the name Fall, it's not easy to build a solid, autonomous creative identity, but what emerges right from the invigorating opening notes of "That's Where The Money Goes (Seen From The Celestial Realm)" is that Presley has found in a delightful blend of psychedelic folk, jangle-pop and Paisley Underground the right dimension for a record that, while still following in the footsteps of what came before, is not only the most solid but also the most direct and musically accomplished of his output.

The lyrics, too, are decidedly sharper: still surreal, but less vague and sloppy; the sonic coordinates are pleasantly garage-rock ("Your Eyes"), rich with echoes of the Byrds ("Given Up My Heart"), marked by pronounced jangle-pop traits ("Evaporating Love") and, of course, psychedelic and free of unnecessary languor ("Reflection In A Shop Window On Polk").

"Orange" is a vibrant, self-pity-free record; it's a zest for life that shines through even in its softer ("I Wanted A Rolex") or more romantic moments ("Unread Books", a track graced by a vintage keyboard). An emotional rebirth that finds its seal in the unexpected cover of a Simply Red song, "So Beautiful", which in Presley's hands becomes a melancholy piece of dream-pop.

The fact that "Orange" gathers together songs written over a long span of time (six years) once again raises questions about the artistic future of the White Fence project, but in the meantime Tim Presley's rebirth is welcome news.

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12/05/2026