Black Doves is an album that sneaks up on you. Initially
Amelia White's songs come off as a pleasant blending of
Aimee Mann and
Sam Phillips-style literate pop with
Lucinda Williams' grittier Americana sound. However, the more you listen to the disc, the more it grabs hold of your attention, and by the album's end, you're only thinking about
Amelia White. The album's first songs show off
White's literate, artsy pop side, while the third tune, an impressive love song entitled "Windowpane," has you thinking it's a perfect combination of
Sam Phillips and
Lucinda Williams. The disc's momentum starts picking up with the next tune, the exquisite title track. While still in
Lucinda territory,
White here deftly explores the emotions of being left at home while a loved one goes off to war. Featuring some lovely singing by
White, "Black Doves" soars as a highly moving effort that totally transcends its influences. But the Nashville-based performer really hits her stride on the album's homestretch. "Broke But Not Broken," a tale of struggle and survival, is a spare yet powerful effort. "Tupelo Train" and "What U Wish" also are standout numbers. The former is a torch and twang tale of the South that boasts a big thumping beat, while the latter delivers a dreamy meditation on love. "What U Wish"'s orchestral, almost
Beatlesque arrangements also nicely set up
White's chamber twang closer, "Lucky." These last two numbers reinforce another of the album's strengths -- the production values. Co-producers
Neilson Hubbard (
Garrison Starr,
Matthew Ryan) and
Brian Brown (
Tanya Donelly,
Juliana Hatfield) provide
White with a rich sonic palette that never overwhelms her songs. For example, in "How Far Is Down," the keyboards cascade gently in the song's background, while the edgy organ/guitar interplay enhances "Snakes and Pushers"' sense of eeriness. These extra textures help to distinguish
White from the rest of the female singer/songwriter pack, and with
Black Doves she takes a confident step toward placing herself among the genre's frontrunners.