Emily Jane White : "Alluvion

Timing is everything.   White could not have picked a better time to release a song called "Show Me the War". Though it is not referring to war in the context the rest of the world is focused on at present. There is a dark tension to it.  The sonics of the song itself is a pulse of intense atmosphere that is coupled with a floating ethereal melody. At first the undercurrent of darkness here might remind you of Chelsea Wolfe, but the overall vibe of the album has more in common with Marissa Nadler. There is a brighter side to the second song. If flows almost more like pop. Though there is a 90s rock drive to it. "Hersey" features guest vocals from Darkher. This leads to a deeply more layer chorus of voices to bring the ambiance. 

Rather than a loud to soft shift in dynamics, this about seems to be more about light to dark. If we are going to be honest "Poisoned" is a country song. That is fine with me it is more Texas than Nashville. Then there is a more fragile atmosphere to "Body Against the Gun". In contrast to the previous song, where it feels we are back to that light to darkness shift despite the space age tension that builds on this song. "the Hands Above Me" flows better and is more interesting as a song. The lyrics stick with you more is the way the emotionally connect with the melody. There is a more synth wave like pulse that runs through "Mute Swan" another song that carries more drama to it. 

"Hold Them Alive" is stripped down to a piano accompaniment.  The ghost hovers in a simpler place. If you get stoned enough I am sure it sounds like the piano part from "Hollow Hearth" is carried over from the previous song. It is a bigger more dramatic song. Things settle into more solid songwriting with the more memorable "I Spent Years Frozen" . "Battle Call" settles back into it's atmosphere going into a darker simmer. I will give this one a 9.5, as it's impressive, requiring me to give it a few listens before it really sunk in. Like folk music meets post-rock. It is hard to say what will catch on but I think this is a timely release that kids today could latch onto as their soundtrack to a kinder gentler apocalypse.