Simone White
Silver Silver

Only in Italy can songs by artists of this caliber be relegated to the theme of a television commercial; however, I owe it to that commercial the merit of making me delve into the sublime songwriting of this graceful yet energetic Hawaiian singer-songwriter, sadly ignored by the public.

The work in question that I am about to review, in my view, marks the attainment of the full maturity of an artist who had already expressed her potential with the two previous albums "I am the man" and Yakimo. It is precisely the dichotomy between the singer’s subdued voice and the abrasiveness here and there in her lyrics that fascinates, words that oscillate from social and environmental denunciation (the track The water city end in memory of the Fukushima tragedy) to childhood memories gently laid on a sound carpet rich in exotic atmospheres, minimalist compositions, but never tedious, unless you really detest folk, although this goes well beyond. The visual suggestions, which refer to splendid atolls and long sandy stretches under the cloudy Hawaiian sky, are present in every single track, just like in previous works, often embellished with moments of genuine avant-garde, courageous for a singer who seems almost ashamed of her undeniable talent, placing her voice in a delicate and intimate manner, honestly and without ever succumbing to virtuoso excesses.

Surely, those who have passed forty like myself will remember a certain Suzanne Vega, who reappeared on the scene with her hits rearranged in an acoustic key, and I mention her precisely because in my view she is the most comparable artist to Simone White, that is, a person free to express her inspiration without being swallowed up by showbiz. I will not review every single track, but I simply invite you to listen to the album as a whole, also because analyzing each track is like trying to extract the colors from a painting, and I assure you this is a much more complex picture than it appears at a casual listen, truly very evocative, where each song would deserve at least a page of review, each track is a precious gem, to be listened to with the due concentration, which is usually dedicated to people of the caliber of David Sylvian, Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Peter Gabriel, Laurie Anderson, and even Kate Bush. If I mention them, it is not by chance, because the avant-garde insights of the album can somehow evoke certain rarefied atmospheres already present in some of their albums. In conclusion, provided you are tired of distorted guitars, stereotyped voices, loud drums, give it a chance, and perhaps when you finish sipping this exotic cocktail, I am sure, you will have reasons to thank me. If you are looking for something less daring and experimental, you can always discover the first two albums, where the style is decidedly more folk, but always classy, without lapses or chart hits.

All that said, even though she hasn’t invented anything new, she has managed to skillfully mix past ideas and sounds to create something unique in its genre, consequently, I do not think it fair that she ends up in the limbo of the forgotten just because no one bothered to review her, or even worse, be remembered for the advertisement of a car or a luxury watch. I know you may criticize me; however, I purposely omitted the songs so that you have an overview of the work.