Emily Jane White – Ode To Sentience

Releasing her third album in as many years, Californian Emily Jane White’s prolific nature is matched only by her strict adherence to the purist folk coda which has defined her discography to date. Crafted with a startling simplicity around White’s spectral whisper and an acoustic-cradled dark lyricism, Ode to Sentience may find the songstress stationed somewhat in stasis, however by doing so, she has begun to master her craft, refining her song-writing by subtle yet searing increments.

Opener Oh Katherine and the broody melodrama of standout track Black Silk demand immediate attention, whilst elsewhere Ode to Sentience speaks in somnolent tones of the human condition and the rewards and anguishes which it brings. By parrying trend in favour of stylistic purity and lyrical depth, Emily Jane White has produced a timeless piece: dense and demanding, but worth every moment you can give it. [Paul Neeson]