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, Candid, like Whitney'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 and 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 Whitney's longest track to this point, at five minutes.) Covers of more like-minded artists, like Damien Jurado and Labi Siffre, are also included here, as is a memorable, earnest take on John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" that sees Ehrlich joined on vocals by Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield. Candid'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 Ehrlich's soothing presence, succeed in making each version their own. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi

1		Bank Head
2		A.M. AM
3		Take Me Home, Country Roads (feat. Waxahatchee)
4		High on a Rocky Ledge
5		Something Happen
6		Strange Overtones
7		Hammond Song
8		Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying
9		Rain
10		Rainbows & Ridges

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