MILLSYECK: Who I Am CD Album
My good friend Rudi plonked this into my hand and said "here's a band from Forfar I think you might want to hear" - she was right!!
The thing is, that I listened to it and it wasn't until half way through the album that I noticed on the cover that everything on this CD has been done by one guy - and I mean EVERYTHING! So, the fact that I thought it was a band at work for as long as I did, is a testament to the talent that a certain Alex Mills undoubtedly possesses.
So, what is it about. Well, in many ways, that's quite simple - 10 songs featuring guitars, vocals, bass and drums. The songs are generally mid-paced, sometimes stronger on the power ballad side, sometimes more surging ahead, occasionally a bit country-ish. The guy has a vocal that inhabits a territory somewhat close to that of Steve Earle and occasionally becomes a bit more LA's-esque at one end, or bluesier at the other. But the fact remains that he has a great voice, a strong voice, a voice that remains in tune throughout the CD and a voice that undoubtedly makes the compositions work so well.
The album opens with "How To Dance", one of the sprightlier pieces on the album with a sizzling guitar riffing under bouncy rhythms and an almost Lou Reed-ish vocal as the guitars riff, surge and eventually cut loose to provide a right old mix of Dr Feelgood-goes-Noo York style pub-rock that's both immediate and enjoyable as well as a feast for the feet. "Life The Game" sizzles with more tasty guitar riffing, deep rumbling bass, drums that start soft and break out into a gallop, as the vocals emerge, this time sounding more breathy and AOR-like, a bit similar to many a band on the English Escape label, only less heavy rock and more commercial indie-rock, fairly swiftly paced and raw sounding, but the vocals give it depth, the result, another good song. "One Life" starts as a chugging rocker, but then drops back to tasty acoustic strumming, sinuous delicacy of guitar leads and softly focused vocals before the drums and a strong guitar undercurrent emerge and this time it really is more like AOR as a positively anthemic slice of atmospheric songwriting emerges, again slightly under produ8ced but still sounding solid and full of depth. "She Don't" opens with a welter of overlaid vocal harmonies before a jangly guitar figure gets things going and an almost raw slice of "LA's-go-country" is the order of the day, pretty soon becoming a jangly guitar pub-rock version of the Beach Boys, before veering off into a subdued Bryan Adams territory, twisting and turning as it goes but the song retaining your attention as it quite heartfelt way continues to keep your head and heart in check. "True Friend" starts with a mix of soaring electric leads and acoustic strumming as a yearning vocal emerges and rhe song takes on more of an atmospheric quality, but this time you feel there's something missing, as the lead guitar chimes in and helps, but even so, the husky vocal sounds far too forced, and the song itself just doesn't seem to hold your attention in the way it should. Well arranged and a good idea, but the vocal sounds too "forced" for the passion it's trying to convey. "Who I Am" is a rousing rocker that's as brroding a it is heavy, heavy for what is essentially metalli-pop, and overall, a strident, well-arranged slice of mid-paced thunder, reminding me of someone I just can't put my finger on. "Everchange" changes the mood completely and provides a tasty slice of country-folk with hoarse yearning vocal, acoustic guitar strumming,and a song filled with angst and wry observational emotion. "Back Your Way", by contrast, starts with a surging guitar riff before heading out into a driving sea of rhythmic strength, on a song that conveys all the feel and essence of seventies-styled pub-rock, bringing back echoes of bands such as Ducks Deluxe and Gypsy, to name but two. A further four tracks of similar and varied nature complete what is a seriously fine album of enjoyable songs, made all the more impressive by the fact that there's just one guy doing it all, one guy who knows how to sound like a real band at work, and, for that eason alone, this deserves to be heard - the fact that it's actually fun to listen to and full of song-based pleasure with strength and depth, an added bonus.