Hearing the husband-and-wife roots team of Buddy and Julie Miller is for most Americana fans is like hearing the comforting voices of long-known friends. Yet, before diving into their latest offering, In the Throes, we need to take issue with the phrase in the advance publicity – “just their fourth album together in 40 years of marriage.” Seriously now, just because both names didn’t grace every title, each partner contributed significantly in the other’s projects. twenty solo or collaborative projects between the two, including Julie’s Christian phase. Although the output has slowed considerably in the last fifteen years or so (fallow for a full decade), the average of one every two years is pretty solid. So, with that said, the lingering question may be what has changed with the recent effort. The good news is that we’re still getting great songs, we’re still seeing the usual suspects as prominent guests, and importantly, we’re still getting their incomparable idiosyncratic approach.
This is not to say these twelve tracks are all outstanding. There are inevitable misses in the bunch but that’s to be expected too. Julie went on a songwriting binge that resulted in writing around 100 songs, culling them down to a dozen. Naturally one could take issue with some choices, but the majority of the output is deeply personal so from our vantage point, we can’t begin to assess the selection process, which must be rather painstaking. And, true to their consistent track record, there are enough gems to compensate. We will cite individual contributors to select tracks but the core backing band is Buddy on various guitars, Fred Eltringham on drums, Victor Krauss or Byron House on bass, and Tim Lauer on Keyboards.
Buddy’s unmistakable guitar introduces the brooding opener, “You’re My Thrill” featuring Julie’s customary girlish, sincere but far from melodic vocal, brightened by Buddy’s harmonies. The title track speaks to one partner being left alone while the other travels. Obviously. Julie, who has battled illness for years now, writes this from her perspective, with punkish, dense rocking accompaniment, a familiar element of the couple’s sonics. The most talked about song follows in that Bob Dylan had a hand in writing “Don’t Make Her Cry” first with Regina McCrary before Julie later added additional lyrics and reshaped it in other ways. It’s a poignant ballad stressing perseverance sung by Buddy with harmonies from McCrary. “Nicolo” features both Millers singing and harmonizing backed by a swirling mix of B3 (), fiddle (), and harmonica (). Despite the ordinary title, “I Love You’” has both singing together with heartfelt passion in a tune that has interesting instrumental accompaniment supporting straightforward lyrics.
“The Last Bridge You Will Cross,” written in tribute to late Civil Rights crusader, Congressman John Lewis and Selma’s Pettus Bridge, invokes a bit of their mournful gospel and will inevitably evoke Buddy’s “Wide River to Cross,” especially since Emmylou Harris sings on both. The latter is a stronger song but this one, imbued by Matt Slocum’s cello is one of the better tracks. Knowing what Julie’s been going through in terms of fibromyalgia, mood swings, and depression the rocking, churning. “The Painkillers Ain’t Workin’” hits home with the added bonus of Buddy’s rootsy, tremolo-soaked guitar playing and Gurf Morlix’s harmony.
Buddy puts his soulful stamp on the ballad “Tattooed Tear,” buoyed by Julie’s harmonies. Julie goes into her punkish simple riffing mode for “I Been Around,” a misstep, considering Julie had so many to choose from. It’s quickly redeemed by the clearly and calmly rendered “I’ll Never Live It Down,” a standout ballad sung so emotively by Buddy. “We’re Leavin’” is a joyous singalong, punctuated with Stuart Duncan’s fiddle and vocals from Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams that will have long-term fans recalling their initial infectious reactions to hearing the couple together for the first time in 2001. “To our eternal home on high” evokes the couples’ Christian music beginnings, making the tune a modern-day version of the gospel chestnut, “I’ll Fly Away.” That jubilant vibe carries over to the brief, raw closer “Oh Shout.”
The reign of Americana’s first couple continues.
