Sometimes being a music hack really sucks. The plentiful supply of free booze, quality drugs and backstage passes are all well and good, but then something like The Millers Tale comes along. I don't want to give them a hard time. They're quiet, harmless and by all accounts really decent people. Right now 'Wish It Away' is playing on my stereo and is looking up at me with big puppy dog eyes that say "Please be nice. I'm a gentle animal who only wants to make you smile".
The trouble is that it's my job to tell it like it is and the simple fact is that this record is really, really ordinary. Yes Rebecca Quade has a lovely voice and yes John MacLean's acoustic guitar is pleasant - but it's just not enough. They've tried to mix things up with strings and brass here and there, but no matter how many guest musicians they bring in the end result is the same: inoffensive and pedestrian.
The funny thing is that I'm usually a sucker for the straightforward female vocal / acoustic guitar combo. Much to the derision of my cooler friends I freely admit to loving everything The Sundays ever did. The Millers Tale use exactly the same ingredients but lack the pop nous or the lyrical dexterity to make 'Wish It Away' anything other than just "okay".
If The Millers Tale were in Star Wars they would be the Ewoks: cuddly and friendly but a bit boring compared to Chewbacca.
By Andy McLean. Copyright held by author.
First published in The Brag, Sydney, 2004.
'Wish It Away' is available through Vitamin Records.
No comments:
Post a Comment