White Reaper Release Deluxe Album ‘Only Slightly Expanded’, Share Two B-Sides

WHITE REAPER have released a deluxe version, Only Slightly Expanded, packing previously unheard b-sides including last month’s single ‘Need’ and two more new songs, ‘Mold’ and ‘No Counter’.

Both songs blend some hooky shimmer into WHITE REAPER‘s trademark crunch, and they’re sure to sound great on the band’s upcoming North American co-headlining tour with punk heavyweights, Drug Church, which starts this week. Featuring support from SPY, Public Opinion, and Death Lens, it’s a can’t miss tour for any loud music fan. Find tickets and more information here. 

To make Only Slightly Empty, WHITE REAPER overcame label upheaval, creative blocks, lineup changes, burnout, and more, and channelled those tumultuous years into an airtight half hour of undeniably great rock & roll. Self-produced by the band (vocalist/guitarist Tony Esposito, keyboardist Ryan Hater, and guitarist Hunter Thompson) and recorded with engineer Joey Oaxaca (Hunny, Mamalarky, Rocket), the record draws on elements of ’90s alternative and darker sounds without ever sacrificing the infectious power pop core that makes WHITE REAPER so appealing. It’s an expert balance that takes the band in exciting new directions while still feeling more confidently like WHITE REAPER than ever. 

For over a decade, WHITE REAPER has been one of modern music’s most satisfying rock bands, reliably reminding listeners how truly rewarding cranked up amps and a good chorus can be. But achieving that kind of longevity is no small feat–it’s a path that’s often full of pitfalls and frustrations no matter how carefree the actual songs might sound. WHITE REAPER have had more than their fair share of ups and downs in recent years and the Louisville, KY-based group’s new album, Only Slightly Empty, finds them overcoming creative blocks, lineup changes, label upheaval, burnout, and more, to push their sound and create the most infectiously entertaining record of their career.

With upheaval finally in the rearview, the core group of Esposito, Hater, guitarist Hunter Thompson, and engineer Joey Oaxaca (Hunny, Mamalarky, Rocket, Twen) got to work with a renewed creative energy. The result finds WHITE REAPER at the top of their game and exploring new musical territory. Only Slightly Empty is packed with the crunchy power pop spirit of the band’s earlier work, but it’s augmented with a grungier wall of sound that’s at times the heaviest and darkest WHITE REAPER have ever sounded–all without ever sacrificing the instant earworm melodies that have always made the group tick. “We did revisit our older stuff to kind of see what made it go,”Esposito explains. “It’s really just melody over chords–that’s the core of it. I think with the last record being written during lockdown, I was just trying to outdo myself writing the craziest possible riffs–versus this time it was more about the songs.”

“There’s definitely a fresh start feeling with this record,” says Esposito. “I even have more nerves leading up to people hearing it–I feel like I did back when we were putting out our first music ever. Everything’s so different now but I have that excitement again.” Fittingly, the album ends with ‘Touch’, an ode to love and loss that sounds as romantic as any power ballad, but is actually about Esposito’s connection to making music. “I wrote it about being younger and starting all of this, and how I thought things would go, and then where it led and where I am now… I’m not even sure what to make of all of it. When you do this–release music and tour for a decade-plus–your relationship with music is going to change and evolve. I think sometimes it loops back to where you started, and sometimes maybe not. This song is about wondering where I am now.” Wherever that may be is somewhere great for WHITE REAPER, and even better for listeners.