Review- John R. Miller: Heat Comes Down
Heat Comes Down is the highly anticipated next installment from West Virginia native John R. Miller. He delivers an album that grows on you with each and every listen, similar to a fine wine that requires a bit of room to breathe. Every time I press Play, I hear something new: a lyric that sounded straight forward and level the first time through, changes course entirely with another listen, like a rodeo bull leaping, plunging and then spinning in an entirely new direction. The layers and complexities contained within this album are simply outstanding, deserving of high praise. Strap in, cinch up tight and prepare yourself for a fantastic ride.
Photo by David McClister
Miller's voice has that ol’ faithful farm truck slaloming down a dirt road sort of sound that warms, soothes, and adds a sprinkle of nostalgia for your heart. JRM masterfully crafts personal introspection, retrospection, pain, and surprisingly, hope, into these 11 tracks. Which could easily be summarized as 11 incredible tracks of personal doom, gloom and a dollop of sunshine, with comparisons to Hayes Carll, James McMurtry, Jerry Jeff Walker and Delbert McClinton.
John R. Miller writes, lives and sings songs about moving forward despite pain, loss and strife. He is somehow still manifesting his strength to carry on despite all of life’s turmoil. JRM is a tremendously talented songwriter and storyteller who has the uncanny knack to set the scene, dissect a memory and contemplate what was, what went right and what went awry, all in the grand pursuit of gaining resolute clarity and/or extrapolating a deeper meaning. JRM is a modern day philosophical rhyming poet looking for his place amongst the stars. Heat Comes Down evokes emotions, provides heaping tablespoons of vivid imagery and delivers deliciously tasty poignant songs that follow Miller through his transcendental journey as he reflects, reminisces, and ponders the toll. Through it all, he finds the strength to persevere and take another step toward the light, continuing to resist darkness as best he can.
This record is a must-have addition to your music library. I loved John R. Miller’s new album so much that I put my money where my mouth was and ordered a personal copy of the Limited Edition “Wormhole” vinyl of Heat Comes Down prior to getting this review out the door before they all disappear as I fear once word gets out and your ears have had a chance to truly consume JRM, they will fly off the proverbial shelf.
The album starts off with a pleasant song about looking at the bright side and not wallowing in the harsh realities of the world, as well as the importance of taking time to work on one's mental resilience. During "Nobody Has to Know Your Mind," the protagonist is tired of being trapped by the grind and takes a much needed day off to work on his mental health. He offers up that “nobody has to know your mind,” and that an escape is always one short nap away. Finding the escape. With or without getting caught in the rain, enjoying a pina colada or in the case of this song, gliding through space on a rocketship. Being down and out is no reason not to continue to seek out happiness. Life can be difficult; daydreaming the day away and imagining a better reality certainly can reduce the stresses of this world.
"Oh, the frogs in the brambles, back in the marsh / Where life’s short and the livin’s harsh / They’re still singing”
This refrain pleases me greatly and brings a smile to my face. After a couple of plays you, too, will be singing each and every chorus on this album. Who knew that you can have your existential dualism and be happy at the same time?
"Insomnia Blues," a slow, steady and deliberate driving rhythm providing the backdrop, coupled with the groovy chorus delivers a powerful uppercut. Instead of daydreaming, he's desperately trying to fall asleep. However, thoughts about the weight of the world, past and future keeps him awake. “When sleep refuses my advance and slips just out of reach and I lay there and into darkness stare til it’s nothing left to teach.” I do wonder if there is a darker backstory contained within the song. Perhaps there is a parallel with Robert Frost’s, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Either way, I, for one, am glad that JRM has promises to keep, and still has plenty of miles left to go.
"Harpers Ferry Moon" laments on a memory of a lost romance that still haunts his heart and perhaps will pang yours too. JRM’s storytelling in this song seems deeply personal and his ability to develop a backdrop and bring you onto those Maryland Heights rocks is first rate. It’s as if you have first row seats as he reads a page from a precious formative time of his life. Just as you are about to be swept away with the current from the river below you are saved with a catchy chorus that enlivens the mood ever so lightly. As it is with any love-lost song, there is no happy ending but the line “If you are exiting the turnpike, I guess it’s just as well” is quite spicy.
"Summer Lens" has a deliciously dark, ominous psychopomp melody (similar to that of Bryce Lewis) that I have come to relish which belies the true darkness of the song. Reminiscing, and wishing more time was spent during the last moment the pair were together he says, “No one ever says, ‘so long forever’ even if it’s gonna be the last time.” It reminds us not to take a single day for granted, that tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, and that we should make every moment count as we'll never know when it will be our last. A powerful message and apropos for all of us to take to heart and never lose sight of what matters most.
"Press On" is a positive upbeat song that inspires, no matter what, to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Persevere no matter the circumstances and
”when it’s down to more questions than answers / And what you knew feels like more than what you know / Hard resets are overrated / If you’re gonna keep going, you gotta keep the going slow”
The album bookends with positive upbeat messages so I decided to book-end this review of my favorite songs with them. My favorite three songs in order are "Harpers Ferry Moon," "Summer Lens" and then "Insomnia Blues." John R. Miller and his band absolutely nail every single note to the wall and find a way to deliver pangs directly to my heart with each and every listen. All in all, this album deserves our attention and way more hype than it has generated thus far. I guess it's not where you start but where you finish and if you aren’t blasting JRM on 10, do you even love music?
I remember listening to John R. Miller’s Coming Down (Fireside Sessions) back in June and just how incredibly struck I was by his ability to transcribe the pain of falling short of the person he was destined to be and wishing he could somehow go back to where it all went awry… Mustering up his strength to resist the darkness… Being absolutely gutted, missing who he was when he was in love, and all the while I was thinking, "Wow! I wish I could write that review." JRM delivers his latest chapter of his pursuit to find happiness, and somehow finds an opportunity to take a moment to pause and reflect on how things were. He keeps from being totally consumed by the missing pieces and appreciating what he has as opposed to what has been lost along the way. Remembering the pain, the loss and leaning on hope to deliver a path forward, he finds meaning or at least understanding.
Find out more about John below:
