Amelia White - Rhythm of the Rain

by Malcolm Carter

published: 1 / 3 / 2018

Label: White Wolf Records
Format: CD

Latest album from the Nashville-based Amelia White who shows that she has more to offer on it than the usual Americana singer-songwriter

Review

Forever being compared to Lucinda Williams, if the name Amelia White is new to you then you’d be forgiven for thinking that she was just another acoustic-guitar wielding addition to the long line of Americana singer/songwriters who are trying to break through. You’d be wrong. While there’s little point in denying that there are vocal similarities between Lucinda and Amelia (they share that smoky, lived-in voice that you feel you just have to pay attention to) and without wishing to take anything away from the massive talent that is Lucinda Williams, it is fair to say that Amelia could be more accurately described as a writer of short stories set to music than just another songwriter vying for our attention. Amelia had a hand in writing all of the nine songs on ‘Rhythm of the Rain’. Some are co-writes with Lori McKenna, the Worry Dolls and Anne McCue to name a few of those involved and it’s her observations on life and the way she sets these out as short stories that make her work so interesting and set her apart from many of her contemporaries. Dave Coleman recorded the songs on ‘Rhythm of the Rain’ in Nashville in just four days. But they weren’t just any four days; they were the days between Amelia’s mother’s funeral and her own wedding. Given that it’s not surprising that the songs cover a wealth of emotions and topics. Just as telling as surprising is Amelia’s spoken word quote which introduces the title track, “Don’t think too much, people”, she possibly instructs her band although the listener will find plenty to dwell on with the stories that Amelia presents on this latest collection. For those who have missed out on Amelia’s previous albums those Lucinda Williams comparisons are not far off the mark although at times the sprit of Tom Petty looms large over some of the tracks. But, despite the fact that Amelia’s music leans more towards the rockier side of Americana than many of her contemporaries and she has a winning way with a melody (these songs are all instantly appealing), it’s her way with words that really makes her special. Admittedly Amelia isn’t the only songwriter who can say more in just a few words than it takes most a whole verse to get across but her observations are fascinating. There is no lyric sheet in our copy of the album, not that one is needed with Amelia’s vocals ringing out loud and clear despite their world-weariness, but one feels that any review really should be littered with examples of the lyrics on this album. I’ll resist and leave that to others because I simply would not know which lines to feature. This album is so lyrically rich it demands to be listened to and taken in as a whole. Despite some dark passages the overall feel of the album is one of hope. This is somewhat boosted by the upbeat tone of the majority of the album. ‘Yuma’ is possibly the most beautiful song on the album, a leaving song that is blessed with a gorgeous melody. With Amelia’s vocals at their most vulnerable it’s something of a departure from the rest of the album and an immediate favourite. ‘Said It like a King’ is revisited from an earlier album, and is one of those songs where the lyrics really deserve to be quoted in full. Amelia’s description of a young boy on the school bus experiencing bullying says more in one line than most can manage in a whole song while the last verse is simply chilling. Closing track ‘Let the Wind Blow’ is an atmospheric piece about the closing stages of a relationship; the imagery that Amelia creates with her words makes this final song the one to head for if her name is still new to you. It’s not entirely representative of her sound on the album but highlights just how brilliant Amelia is as a storyteller. Or you could just simply head over to http://www.ameliawhite.com/lyrics/ for lyrics to the whole album and more for confirmation of just how strong her talent is. ‘Rhythm of the Rain’ is not an album that you’re going to play once then forget about; Amelia’s stories stand up to repeated listening and the melodies she wraps her short tales in are never less than appealing, Amelia White has something to say and it’s time more of us listened.

Track Listing:-

1 Little Cloud over Little Rock
2 Rhythm of the Rain
3 Sinking Sun
4 Sugar Baby
5 Supernova
6 Yuma
7 Said It Like a King
8 True or Not
9 Let the Wind Blow