If It's Too Loud...

I discovered Bella White's 2020 album Just Like Leaving  a year late, but I quickly became smitten with the singer's blend of traditional folk and bluegrass. She released her sophomore album this year, and Among Other Things may be even better than her first. The songs on Among Other Things  are still traditional folk and bluegrass, but for this album White updated the sound to a more modern version that at times stops just short of folk-pop. The Canadian native just has that kind of voice that sucks you in. White just sucks you in with her natural talent as soon as "The Way I Oughta Go" starts, and keeps you mesmerized until the album closes with "Among Other Things." The standout track for me is "Flowers On My Bedside," a song that stretches the genre of traditional folk just about as far as it can go while still being traditional folk, and is one of the most engaging songs of the year. As with any article about Bella White, I have to mention tha...

Photo by Bree Fish At the 2021 Green River Festival, Bella White played a new, unreleased song that completely floored me. "Flowers On My Bedside" had a more modern folk feel along with a little bit of a ramble to it that stood out from her other vintage sounding songs in her set. Now we can finally hear the studio version of that song, and it's just as mind blowing as it was two years ago. "Flowers On My Bedside" is a gorgeous take on contemporary folk with the slightest classic sound to it. It doesn't sound like anything else White has released to date, and it is an incredibly compelling listen. With such quiet instrumentation, the song focuses strongly on White's vocals which will simply suck you in. If there is any justice left in the world, "Flowers On My Bedside" will be the song that propels White into true stardom. You can listen to "Flowers On My Bedside" below. Among Other Things is due out April 21 on Rounder Records, and c...