Verity White

I have a feeling that in a couple of years time, many of us are going to be sagely nodding and saying “Of course I discovered Verity White when she was playing to 20 people at the Slaughtered Lamb”.
On the basis of this album she actually sounds as though she could become a major artist in the next couple of years.

While you can hear a number of influences in her sound – the likes of Shirley Manson, Skin & Pink – her voice is superb and she has a great deal more in her music than just the influences.
I saw her play a week or so ago and I was impressed but hearing this album and being able to listen more deeply into her singing and the band’s power and thrust I would definitely go a step further than that ‘Reclaim; Set Fire’ is definitely one of the most fresh and vibrant albums I’ve heard recently.

Yes, this is rock and it is based around guitar and female vocals but she sounds like a more experienced and more nuanced singer than most. Add to that, husband Alex White’s guitar riffs and detailed lead playing and you are definitely hearing a top class rock band .
If I had to point at a particular favourite track I would definitely go for ‘Overload’ with its varied pace and rhythms and a superb, emotive vocal of opener ‘Come And Get It’ with its tricky riff and clever lyrics breaking into a punky thrash. Album closer ‘Feel This’ takes the music in a totally different direction, piano led, deeply emotive and desperately passionate and I’d love to see her, alone on a stage such as the Union Chapel, spotlit and exposed, performing this one.

A delicious album, well worth a taste.