Billy Jam Records
****1/2
With only five tracks and most songs clocking in at around three minutes, this latest release from Kentucky country singer Alex Miller is a bit short—at least for listeners who are always appreciative of finely-honed vocals and solid traditional country. However, what is here is good stuff. Alex’sapproach throughout makes a case for the timelessness of country, and the set contains an overarching theme thats implications continue to inform country today. It would be impossible to overstate the charm these songs convey. He is an old soul, deep thinking, and his love for lyrics has led him along a path of writing songs with simple everyday prose and melody that have found their way into storytelling songwriting at its best. The 20-year-old’s combination of craft and confidence, that’s deft and determined all at the same time, showcase his canny ability with lyrics that convey feelings of loneliness and joy and tell stories of his folks, who raised him in a rural environment, as he wistfully looks back to the happiness of his upbringing and their various homes.
The Last House In God’s Country capitalises on the duality of the past and the future. A nostalgic number, co-written by Alex and producer Jerry Salley, that perfectly captures a down-home vibe and super traditional country sound. Jenee Fleenor’s fiddle sets the tone for the poignant lyrics that are wrapped in delicate harmonies and uplifted by the skillful and intuitive session musicians. Alex travels down the same backroads for the heartfelt My Daddy’s Dad, as he fondly remembers his late grandfather, GB Miller. Honest, yet not overly schmaltzy lyrics and a finely picked acoustic guitar, enfold fiddle and pedal steel as he narrates this true story of a rather special human-being. Alex’s vocal presents a deep, pure richness that captures every emotion and entices the soul to new heights.
Unabashedly vocal about his love and reverence for traditional country music, the fiddle driven She Makes Dirt Good, is full of rural lyricism as he gets misty-eyed about the love of his life. With classic country instrumentation that's somewhere between, George Strait and Clint Black, Oh. Odessa has a wide-open western feel augmenting his bewitching croon and the impeccable rhythmic pocket with a near-perfect blend of fiddle-and-steel. Ain’t Ever Saying Never is even more overtly classic country influenced. That bittersweet, maybe-an-ending, maybe-a-beginning feeling is manifest in the clever word play. A modern country traditionalist, Alex Miller is mashing the accelerator, and doing so unapologetically. An up-and-coming singing star with a lot of promise. I for one can’t wait to see just where his musical journey will take him next.
April 2024