It's a relief to know that singer/songwriter Eden White has not disappeared from the music scene. For a while, it had seemed as if the former Jumbo, who received the Light on the Hill Award last year along with Hank Azaria, had fallen into some black hole. Rumors swirled that White was producing a live CD from recorded performances at the Bitter End in New York.
As White explains in the cover notes to her latest CD, "due to technical difficulties, the show did not result in a recording." Perhaps this was a mixed blessing -- Eden White's second CD, What Really Matters, is an impressive follow-up to her last album, This is the Way. This CD is in many ways stronger than her last album and highlights her tremendous growth as a songwriter.
White seems to have gotten most of her angst and bitterness out on her last album. Her latest record is more introspective and personal, a nice mix of upbeat pop tunes and haunting and reflective ballads. The album's first track, "Hey, Hey Father," is a great opener and a catchy tune in which White reflects on the strength it takes to get oneself out of difficult situations in life. This song is the one most likely from the album to break onto the radio.
Many of Eden White's songs try to get across a story and a message to her listeners. "Jessica" is a perfect example of this -- it tells the tale of a girl who only found fulfillment in beauty magazines. White sings of the insecurity the girl felt with lyrics like, "And she wished she looked like she did/But the mirror took her dreams." This song highlights White's talents as a pianist with some impressive, urgent piano solos.
One of White's most profound songs on this album is "Better This Time." This song describes the hardships the narrator has endured and the ultimate hope and redemption she finds in the person who comes to not only rescue her, but to challenge her. White asks probing questions in this song such as, "Have you ever discovered that you sacrificed love to stay sane?" and "Have you ever preferred to settle into a comfortable pattern because you knew it would take too much effort to find what really matters?" This piece has a wonderful shape and natural flow to it, with a haunting piano melody, and an emphasis on White's strength as a lyricist.
Without a doubt, the most impressive piece on this album is "Twirling," a song that describes White's frustrations as a little girl confined within the typical gender roles assigned her. This piece is reminiscent of the song "Do You Talk Like You Play," from White' very first album Here I Am, which addressed White's frustrations in not being taken seriously as an artist. In "Twirling," her demands as a little girl to play a game of baseball or play with fire trucks are ignored by her father. The lyrics to the song are clever and disturbing at the same time -- "I keep twirling in my patent leathers/Wish they were mountain shoes/Climbing's not meant for girls/Momma tells me keep on twirling." The musical arrangement to this song is simple, with the piano and a violin serving as mere backup to White's powerful singing performance.
Some of the songs on the album come across better in concert than recorded. "Just Nobody Good Enough," a song about White's father feeling that no boyfriend of hers would ever live up to her expectations, is fun and exciting in concert, but comes across a bit flat and static on the album. The same can be said of "Hypocrite," a clever song that is angry and cynical, but also comes across better live. It sounds a bit too harsh in its recorded version and does not do justice to White's pretty voice.
Another songs to check out are "Since You Walked Away," and "Letter by Letter (Song for Anne)." These two slow and introspective songs are great examples of White's talents as a composer and her strength as a singer.
White's brilliance as a pianist is highlighted with her "Prelude to Goodbye." This piece, just over a minute long, is a flowing and lyrical composition that is both classical and pop-y at the same time. It shows a side of White that is only hinted at in the brief piano solos during the bridges of the other songs. It is an exciting lead-in to the final song of the album, "Goodbye," a song that White usually sings as an encore at her concerts. This is one of the more upbeat pieces of the album and will get you up on your feet, with its fun and rockable tune.
Definitely check out this CD if you get a chance. White is one of the best young songwriters out there today and the comments by other critics about her being the female Billy Joel are certainly not unfounded.
