Peace and tension, Jim White’s ‘Inner Day’ is a state of nature

In March 2024, Jim White released his first-ever solo album, ‘All Hits: Memories’. Coming 40 years into his career, it felt like some kind of breakthrough happening. His second solo album confirms it: Jim’s deep percussive intuition is fuelling a new musical vehicle in his life. ‘Inner Day’ finds him dancing ever more deftly with himself on an expressionistic set of drum kit and keyboard duets.

Developing meditations on his personal arcana into expressive keyboard feels, he crafts parts as he would on the kit, further interacting with them on drums as well. Jim takes another big step on the album, singing on two standout tracks, ‘Inner Day’ and ‘I Don’t Do/Grand Central’, his words and voice in the mix for the first time.

Jim is capable of driving a band one minute, then slipping past accompaniment and into the cracks of the subliminal in the next breath. He’s got qualities, deep pockets, a lovely sense of the moment, that serve him and those he drums with well.

‘Inner Day’ is a state of nature: peace and tension, rest and disquiet aloft on the wind of Jim’s inspiration. Jim himself says: “On my first album ‘All Hits: Memories’, I wanted to have a keyboard sound to keep the drums company as together they celebrated why some things just ‘hit’ the psyche, why some memories stick. Later, I found the notes wanted to move more and so on my second album ‘Inner Day’ that is what they do.”