Among Other Things

Bella White walks a fine line separating tradition and introspection on Among Other Things, her second album. On Just Like Leaving, her 2020 debut, White didnt hide the debt she owes to old-fashioned bluegrass and Appalachian country, surrounding her keening twang with robust instrumentation that brought out joy as much as sorrow. The twang remains on Among Other Things -- if anything, its more pronounced, functioning as the initial focal point of many tracks -- but Whites decision to work with Jonathan Wilson, a producer who previously helmed records by indie rockers Father John Misty and Angel Olsen, steers her toward a bleak intimacy where her music seems starkly unadorned. Its not a coincidence that Buck Meek, the guitarist in the delicate indie folkers Big Thief, plays a role here: Among Other Things can recall the interior journeys of indie singer/songwriters. Even though White reveals fragile emotions, she remains firmly planted in roots music, not only capable of working up a head of steam on "Break My Heart" or settling into the mellow sunset of "Numbers," but sounding resolute during her most vulnerable moments. Occasionally, Whites earnestness as a lyricist and singer can seem at odds with the relaxed ease of the music, but thats also a considerable part of her appeal. As she opens her heart and chases her thoughts, White writes and performs with a guileless empathy, a quality that gives Among Other Things a raw intimacy even in its quietest moments. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine