The true job of musicians, far beyond simply playing music to entertain, is to further reflect the sign of the times and rise to any and all historic occasions by offering either an escape or an answer within their art. With the unexpected rise of the viral pandemic early last year, most bands and artists saw their core source of expression within live venues cut off entirely, and a year later have still been left with little to no answers on the return of such fare. Most bands opted for complete and total radio silence, some released whatever music they had recorded before the lockdown out of fear of not being able to record more any time soon, and in Robert Miller’s case, some pivoted trajectories from working within a band to functioning as a solo act.
Coming from esteemed rock group Project Grand Slam, Miller had his work cut out for him; living up to the expectation set up within his band’s multiple successes and releases, the solo path couldn’t just be for laughs to pass the time lest his legacy be tainted. With his first solo release Summer of Love came the pleasant surprise of a highly enjoyable album that served as much as an escape for its writer as it did its fans, and those same fans can rest assured that the words “sophomore slump” doesn’t exist within Miller’s vocabulary as he returns with his second solo release Miller Rocks.
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Fans of both Summer of Love and Project Grand Slam will be happy to experience the shelter-in-place highs and lows alongside Robert Miller, as they rightfully should. Miller is unafraid to distract from the problem, but he’s even more eager to stare at the unanswerable conflict directly in its face and respond to it in a fairly emotional way. This project functions both as a rock-venture through Miller’s oldest influences as much as it is a response to the world in a tailspin.
The range of emotion covered within Miller Rocks is admirable and worth bringing attention to, as it truly does further the album’s depth exponentially. Miller isn’t shying away from rewarding listeners looking for a deeper thematic experience in this time, giving us beautiful tracks that feel entirely personal with “The Birds” and “You’re My Friend,” as well as album-finisher “Labor Day.” Sprinkled throughout are songs with catchy melodies and lyrics less probing, such as “To the Zoo!” and “My Baby,” but these face-value jams make the standouts all the more impressive and memorable.
I’m hopeful Robert Miller will give audiences another album within the year as his solo work feels like the key to further unlocking the man behind Project Grand Slam; both solo outings thus far have been exceptional displays of both his talent and humanity and completing the trilogy just seems like the most natural next step before the world fully reopens. If this is the case or not, listeners will feel rewarded regardless, and Miller has more than earned his praise.
Jodi Marxbury