Miller may be something of a late bloomer, but he brings years of experience and depth of craft few newcomers can match. He sings with a voice as comfortable as old shoes and one with fat, rich instrumental. But Miller makes music that sounds at once perfectly composed and totally informal, His wife contributes songwriting and singing (Harris sings some, too). Veering smoothly from twangy roadhouse rock to gut-bucket country, from wrenching acoustic blues to Cajun- fried fiddle tunes, Miller navigates familiar territory with enormous confidence and practically unerring feeling. But great albums like Nashville sideman Buddy Miller's fourth solo CD come as one whole piece that pack an extra emotional wallop because of the panoramic perspective.īest known probably as Emmylou Harris' guitarist, Miller won best album at the recent Americana Awards for last year's duet with his wife, Julie Miller.īut Miller found the stroke with "Midnight and Lonesome," due in stores Tuesday, recorded in the couple's living room. No telling what makes an album out of a collection of songs. Like the song says, she's "Headed in the Right Direction." Arriving isn't preordained. She's obviously talented she's well aware of that. The artist is so intent on delivering her fuzzy odes to men ("Beautiful Surprise"),ĭivinity ("God is Real") and sisters in need of a pep talk ("No matter what anybody says, what matters most is what you think of yourself," she sings on "Get It Together"), the record unspools like a dreamy stream of consciousness. Nothing here comes close to the terrific melody of "Video," the hit song from the debut. The drawback is the material's essential shapelessness. Like Keys, India.Arie clearly has a deep affinity for Stevie Wonder's 1970s music, particularly the naked social and personal sentiments of "Songs in the Key of Life." Her new record strikes a balance between gurgling, finger- snapping new-soul production and the bare-bones, soul-baring approach of Lauryn Hill's recent "Unplugged" album. Keys, of course, ended up with the lion's share of actual awards, but this newcomer's stardom was assured.Īs the title implies, "Voyage to India" is a rather self-absorbed piece of work. Acoustic soul girl India.Arie raised eyebrows last January when she scored more Grammy nominations for her debut album than Alicia Keys.
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