Simone White’s Latest
I spent an hour or so last night going through several stacks of CDs, organizing them, putting them on the racks, etc. (the fact that I didn’t do this when I moved last year should tell you how much of a procrastinator I am). Naturally, doing so caused me to find a number of CDs that piqued my curiosity because it’d been quite some time since I’d last heard them, including Disco Inferno, Hope For Agoldensummer, and Simone White.
I wrote about Simone White’s first CD, The Sincere Recording Co. Presents… back in 2004. Listening to it again was a definite pleasure, which is always the case when you get reacquainted with a good album. I love White’s delicate vocals (again, the Stina Nordenstram comparison seems most apt), and although I still think the album has a bit of a same-y vibe, there are certainly some lovely bits of songwriting on here: “America In ‘54”, “Candy Bar Killer” (which, as the title implies, combines an incredible poignancy with just a wee hint of darkness), and perhaps my fave track, “I Didn’t Have a Summer Romance”.
Sure, the subject matter is as cliched as one could imagine, but the leisurely pace and White’s wispy voice imbue the song with some solid heartache, especially on lines such as “While others were as fooled by the sweet words someone vowed/I was the one who made company a crowd.”
Naturally, after listening to this CD, which just sort of flew under the radar of most, it seems, I became curious as to what White was doing. A quick stop by her website reveals that a new album is indeed in the works. Titled Beekeeping: The Gentle Craft, it has no release date, just a promise that it will be out “soon, very soon.” However, some songs can be heard on Supersonic (just click on the “Audio” tab).
The new songs still have the dreamy melancholy of The Sincere Recording Co. Presents…, but White has expanded and fleshed out her sonic palette a bit, sharpened her songwriting, and in the case of “The American War,” she’s also gotten a wee political — but who hasn’t these days? The songs feel more distinct this time around, and even delightfully quirky at times, such as the skipping playfulness of “I Wrote This Song About You” or the shuffling bridge of the aforementioned “The American War.”
Here are links to all of the MP3s available for your listening pleasure:
- “The American War”
- “I Wrote This Song About You”
- “Mary Jane”
- “Without A Sound”
- “I Am The Man”
- “Moon Song (It Shines So Bright)”
If you’re interested in purchasing The Sincere Recording Co. Presents…, CDBaby has the goods.