Emily Jane White: Blood/Lines

Californian Emily Jane White has progressed through the ranks of metal and punk bands to arrive at a somewhat more reflective place. Gone is the trash/thrash aesthetic, to be replaced by a creative output that is informed not only by US blues and folk but also the likes of PJ Harvey, Hope Sandoval and Cat Power. Blood/Lines, White's first real introduction to music fans this side of the Atlantic, is a compilation of songs gathered across three previous solo albums: Dark Undercoat (2008), Victorian America (2009) and Ode to Sentience (2010). Each pretty much does exactly what it says on the cover. White's problem, such as it is, is that she has yet to escape the clutches of her influences (particularly Polly Harvey). For all of that, there is something interesting at work and play in what remains an intriguing work-in-progess. emilyjanewhite.com
Download: Faster Than the Devil