They Moved in Shadow All Together by Emily Jane White (Review)

First, some context. The title of Emily Jane White’s They Moved in Shadow All Together comes from Cormac McCarthy’s Outer Dark. The album deals with concepts including “the symptomatology of trauma” and “the impact of trauma on individual and collective identity.” Finally, White tackles weighty topics including racism (“The Black Dove”) and violence against women (“Womankind”).

Suffice to say, They Moved in Shadow All Together is dark and even ominous at times, with White’s polyvocal arrangements, Nick Ott’s booming percussion, and Shawn Alpay’s bass and cello adding to that effect. However, there’s a grace in the midst of that darkness that’s arresting and spellbinding. Despite their heaviness, White’s songs never plod but rather, float and drift effortlessly.

Opening track “Frozen Garden” is a perfect example of this. Over a folksy guitar melody, White weaves together layers of her haunting voice to sing about hurt, betrayal, abandonment (“So lead me down to the dusty garden/Overgrown aged and rotten/And here they lie, children forsaken/And I see myself as one among them”) — and in the song’s gorgeous, cello-blessed finale, even the possibility of forgiveness.