ALBUM REVIEW: “Victorian America” Emily Jane White

Emily Jane White
Victorian America
[Milan Records]

Make no mistake: Emily Jane White writes sad songs. It’s what she does and she does it well. She demonstrated her knack for tugging at the heart with her debut album Dark Undercoat, a collection of sparse, smoky folk tunes fueled by Emily’s haunting vocals. Now with her sophomore album Ms. White shows that she’s more than just a pretty voice. Victorian America has all the melancholy of her first album and this time the songs are backed with rich, powerful, orchestration. The music paints dramatic scenes behind each of the twelve songs. Emily’s plucky guitar is accompanied by violin, piano, slide guitar, crashing symbols and a variety of other instruments, adding some depth and color to her gray, gloomy lyrics. Victorian America is a beautiful album: haunting, passionate and well-crafted. It’s a little bit country, a little bit folk, a little bit indie and a lot of heart. Be sure to check out Emily’s La Blogotheque session. Enjoy this album with a glass of red wine.