Video: White Life - "Time Is Wasting"

Baltimore's White Life—who've put out one of the best albums of 2011 in their self-titled debut—recently released a video for the single "Time Is Wasting." The track, which cherry picks from some of the more fun, danceable, and cheesy tones of the late 1980s and early 1990s R&B and pop scenes, is paired perfectly here with a silly and low-key video of frontman Jon Ehrens dancing his way through a breakfast of cereal and an afternoon of one-man tennis. Ehrens' sister Emily, who provides the track's backup vocals, appears as well, lackadaisically singing-along while reading the morning paper and later dancing spirit-like in a white glowing cloak. If there's a message here, it's that the Ehrens know how to make fun of themselves—and they have a great time while doing it.

White Life: Throwback R&B From Baltimore

White Life's debut reeks of 1986: I'm talking Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," Madonna's "True Blue," and Club Nouveau's "Rumors." Cheesy drum machine patter, air guitar-quality synthesizer solos, and contagious vocal melodies color this Baltimore group's addictive and highly replayable LP. Comprised of Jon Ehrens and his sister Emily, the band breathes heaps of funk and fun into their retro R&B project, cherry picking tones from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The end result, however, is a surprisingly refreshing mixture of sounds that feel unequivocally original, thanks in part to the emotive and entirely unselfconscious singing from both Jon and Emily. If fellow synth-heavy group Washed Out slices with a butter knife, White Life here resemble a freshly honed butcher's blade with sharp hooks that cut deep. If you're not laughing, dancing, or singing-along when you hear this record, you're doing it wrong.

Purchase the LP or CD from Ehse Records. The album is also available digitally via a pay-what-you-want scenario.

White Life - "I Want Love" (from White Life)
White Life - "Flirp" (from White Life)