Simone White - I Am The Man

I Am The Man (2007) and Simone White's more recent release, Yakiimo (2009) kind of came out of nowhere for me. I only came upon White through seeing Hideyuki Katsumata's interesting music video for the title track from Yakiimo. White was actually born in Hawaii, but has resided in London and New York before reaching the heights of these two releases. I really enjoy the layout and packaging for both albums, both including lyric books on matte paper. White plays guitar and sings throughout I Am The Man, and mostly solo.


Simone White - "I Am The Man"

White's vocals set her apart. Her guitar play comes secondary for her. Here we have a simply open strumming opening things off with vocals quickly appearing as well. White works in a fair amount of politics into some of her songs, but with her soft and clean vocals, it comes across as gripping as opposed to divisive. The lyrics also point toward a progression of personal/political views and self-understanding. The recording is very clear and soft sounds that do appear (pronunciation of words, etc.) bring warmth to the song.


Simone White - "I Didn't Have Any Summer Romance"

The first song on the album. Lyrics song from a personal perspective and more along the line of a traditional pop lovelorn song. We hear a subtle use of trumpet in the background and minor percussion, enough to promote a slight toe tapping as I sit here listening. The song is fuller and one of the more musically strong songs on the album. Even a nice little guitar interlude presents itself within the second minute. White's vocals match the tone of the lyrics extremely well and once again are the driving force behind the song.

Simone White's website carries a few more songs that you can listen to and check out, and both this album and Yakiimo can be purchased in cd, lp, and mp3 forms through the record label, Honest Jon's Records.