Sarah White's got that "dark side of Appalachia" thing goin' on. She's spent most of her life around the Blue Ridge Mountains, but don't go calling this release "Alt-Country." While traditional Americana informs White's music, she explores many different directions. Check out the ominous slow-core of "Got You Back."

Then there's songs like the flat-out beautiful "Poker Night," a lush tapestry of finger-picked guitar that would do Ralph Towner proud. BLUEBIRD is a humble and unassuming disc, yet it is also hauntingly enticing.