Tim Presley, recording as White Fence, summons the atmosphere of classic sixties garage, the peculiarly British grain of Beat-era Kinks, and the world-weary melancholy of John Lennon. On his new album Orange, the senses are repeatedly provoked by an analogue dustiness, by the impression of music captured by hand-operated tape and fuelled by burning wood. And yet White Fence sounds unmistakably like a creative entity of the present day. Orange is no exercise in nostalgia.
We first heard the California lo-fi sorcery of Tim Presley back in the late 2000’s when he introduced White Fence as an outlet for his home-recorded songs. He was feeding his music into equipment that could, romantically, be described as ‘primitive’ in his apartment, which led to his 2010 White Fence debut (he was still a member of Darker My Love at the time). The signature references were already in place, as was Tim’s own instantly identifiable essence; he was like the fuzz-bewitched Syd Barrett figure for the Ty Segall age, and Ty does feature in the story. As Tim grew, so did his feel for collaboration, so, with Segall in particular, he appeared to have found a sonic brother who was drinking from the same fountain, not to mention, with a relentless recording agenda, setting a hard pace on creation.
All of which speaks to the noticeable changes Tim felt as he approached this new album, his first since 2019’s I Have to Feed Larry’s Hawk. Tim has instead been focusing on poetry and art as well as, by his own admission, going through a period of tough, honest self-reflection. But with Ty Segall again in the producers’ chair, the one thing that has remained in this period of transition is that style and sound, which now sounds freer and more expansive than ever. There is a lot of heavy reflection; the title alone of I Came Close, Orange For Luck, hints at unthinkable outcomes for Tim’s fraught recent past, and there is quite a grey, northern industrial weight permeating this song, especially. Your Eyes, on the other hand, frugs along with the kind of glam riffage that absolutely screams of Ty. Other times, we take a spin down jangly college rock avenues, even when this kind of adrenalin washes your face, that Presley vocal has such a vulnerable timbre that it is hard not to think of the UK and similar contrasts within The Smiths. Unread Books takes a gentler turn; it is one of many highlights here that has the twin effect of highlighting the strength of Presley’s songwriting and shining a light on the sophistication of the playing.
Ultimately, it all comes back to that liquid current that brings White Fence music to life. Wonderful folk-rocking numbers like Evaporating Love positively thrive on the buzz of the fuzz. These songs need a plug and a power supply, whilst celebrating melody, they are unafraid to show hurt, fear, despair, all the heavy stuff, but all the same, these songs are built for electricity. And maybe the break did Tim good for another reason because, even when the darker memories are raining all over the numbers, there is an audible joy in this playing.
There is little else we need explaining, really; everything is poured into these grooves. The final word should go to Tim because, as summaries go, his stated ambition for Orange says it all. Having admitted the album looks at the absurdities of life, he goes on: “I wanted to sing my little heart out. Sing life.” Sing about what you feel and sing it well, like you mean it, and the people will respond. Orange makes that so easy to do.
Orange (April 24th, 2026) Drag City
Order: https://whitefencetp.lnk.to/orange