The White Birch is the second and final album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 by the New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 band Codeine

Codeine (band)

Codeine was an American indie rock/slowcore band formed in 1989. They released two full-length albums — Frigid Stars in 1990 and The White Birch in 1994.-History:...

. Released in April 1994, the album is considered to be the band's best album and a clear influence on Low

Low (band)

Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2010, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....

, among other bands.

Background

On their debut album Frigid Stars

Frigid Stars

Frigid Stars is the debut album by New York indie rock/slowcore band Codeine. It was released in August 1990 on Glitterhouse in Europe and in Spring 1991 on Sub Pop in the US. The album was released to generally positive reviews and is regarded as being one of the pioneering albums in the slowcore...

and the follow-on EP Barely Real

Barely Real

Barely Real is an EP by slowcore band Codeine. It was released on Sub Pop in 1992. While the EP retains most of the stylistic elements of debut Frigid Stars, some new sounds are introduced, notably on "W.", which features solo atonal piano played by David Grubbs...

, Codeine's sound was characterised by agonizingly slow tempos and a stripped-down aesthetic, their songs rarely venturing beyond the combination of a sharp, robust rhythm section underlying crisply ringing guitars. The White Birch introduced more melodic elements and developed an aesthetic that shifted sharply between clean and heavily distorted guitars in a way that few bands such as Slint

Slint

Slint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...

 had previously explored. Along with Slint

Slint

Slint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...

's 1991 album Spiderland

Spiderland

Spiderland is the second studio album by the American post-rock band Slint, released on March 27, 1991 on Touch and Go. Featuring dramatically alternating dynamics and vocals ranging from spoken word to shouting, the album contains narrative lyrics that emphasize alienation...

, The White Birch would prove to be a huge influence on bands such as Mogwai

Mogwai

The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...

 and Shipping News

Shipping News

Shipping News is an American post-rock/post-hardcore band. The group formed in the fall of 1996 when members Jason Noble and Jeff Mueller, who were both in Rodan, collaborated to create music for the Chicago-based syndicated National Public Radio program This American Life. Kyle Crabtree was later...

.

Following an extensive US tour, the band split. Scharin returned to Rex

Rex (band)

Rex was an American Indie rock band formed in 1994 . Rex was considered one of the most important and influential slowcore bands and released three albums and one EP on Southern Records, as well as a collaboration with Red Red Meat on Perishable Records...

, before working with HiM (American band) and June of 44

June of 44

June of 44 was an American rock band which was formed in 1994 from ex-members of Rodan, Lungfish, Rex, and Hoover. The band's music is often described as 'math rock'. The band's name refers the period during which erotic fiction writers Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin corresponded.The band toured...

. Immerwahr formed a new band, Raymond.

Songs

An alternative version of "Ides" was released as a 7" split single with The Coctails on Simple Machines

Simple Machines

Simple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard...

 in 1993. "Tom" was released as a 7" single on Sub Pop

Sub Pop

Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...

 in 1993, backed with "Something New". "Wird" is a full-band version of "W.", which previously appeared as an atonal piano piece on Barely Real

Barely Real

Barely Real is an EP by slowcore band Codeine. It was released on Sub Pop in 1992. While the EP retains most of the stylistic elements of debut Frigid Stars, some new sounds are introduced, notably on "W.", which features solo atonal piano played by David Grubbs...

.

Track listing

All songs written by Codeine.

1. "Sea" - 7:21
2. "Loss Leader" - 4:18
3. "Vacancy" - 3:37
4. "Kitchen Light" - 3:36
5. "Washed Up" - 4:40
6. "Tom" - 5:02
7. "Ides" - 5:07
8. "Wird" - 6:05
9. "Smoking Room" - 3:18

Personnel

• John Engle (guitar)
• Stephen Immerwahr (bass, vocals)
• Doug Scharin (drums)
• David Grubbs
  David Grubbs
  David Grubbs , guitarist, pianist, and vocalist, was a founding member of Squirrel Bait, Bastro, and Gastr del Sol. He has also played in Codeine, The Red Krayola, Bitch Magnet and The Wingdale Community Singers....
  
  (guitar on "Tom" and "Wird")