"Depreciated" by John R. Miller
Faustina: Months of bad food and a pauper’s guitar, never heading any warning. I’ve had friends and I’ve let my friends down looking for my heart in the lost and found. Bare hands, trying to stop the rain from pouring.
Mojo magazine used to have a section every month where they would ask people what their go to albums were for each day of the weekend, but for some reason it was always the Sunday morning records that fascinated me. I’ve cycled between a few favorites to answer this question over the years, usually classic albums from years ago, but John R. Miller has just snatched that title with his new outing, “Depreciated.”
Sunday mornings for me are chill times for introspection with a cup of coffee, so I want music I can get lost in, pondering the words and letting them guide my thoughts wherever they may go. Miller has a way with language that has satisfied me for years, but on “Depreciated” I feel like his story telling has taken another leap. The door to these songs has been left open, inviting the listener in to experience the world they hold inside.
Looking back on Miller’s previous album, “The Trouble You Follow” (an album I talked about in 2018), you can hear where the groundwork was laid for “Depreciated,” but he’s now taking things one step further. His ability to be matter of fact still rings true, but I feel the overall composition of every song has allowed for more emphasis on his narration, fleshing out the world he’s so bluntly laying forth with a more dynamic musical accompaniment.
Where Miller will receive comparisons to the likes of John Prine and Hayes Carll for his lyrical prowess (rightly so I may add), he shouldn’t be categorized by mere comparative labels. For instance, “What’s Left of the Valley” is an instrumental track that speaks with the same power as his words and is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in years. “Depreciated” puts Miller beyond the standard singer/songwriter title and into a classification all his own.
Coming Down: There was a good man in the making once in the light of yesterday. Been trying to remember just who he was. Trying like hell to recall his name. It used to be my name, too. Now the sky is coming down. Can’t you see the stars falling? Have yourself another round ‘til you can’t hear the darkness calling.
If you'd like more from John R. Miller, you can get information, tour info and music at his website and make sure to catch him in concert when he comes to your town.
