Breakdown On 20th Ave. South
New West, 2019
8/10
Listen to Breakdown On 20th Ave. South
On their first album together in a decade, Buddy and Julie Miller, who are married, share a chemistry you might expect after 40 years of marriage, though with such strong, timeless talent from both, it’s also a unique formula where the lines of Americana, country and folk are blurred.
The title track starts the album with vocal harmonies and a warm, lifting setting and multifaceted approach where blues and folk are in attendance, and “Feast Of The Dead” follows with Julie’s inimitable vocals in a percussively strong and more bare setting that’s dark spirited.
Further along, “Unused Heart” brings gentle guitars to Julie’s emotive and sweet singing, and “Till The Stardust Comes Apart” offers a duet that resides near balladry with soft keys complementing the mood.
Near the end, “Secret” has Buddy taking the lead on a country influenced moment, and the dusty anthem “War Child” is easily one of the album’s best. “Storm Of Kisses” ends the listen with a gently plucked banjo against the pair’s melodic vocals on a tune about Julie’s late brother.
While Buddy’s been plenty busy in the last decade doing session work and touring, Julie has been plagued with health problems. It’s only fitting, then, that Julie takes the lead on more than half of the album, and actually penned the entire record.
Let’s hope it isn’t another decade before these two record again, and while it’s hard to call this a comeback album from people who live in the same house, it certainly is a great reminder of how fantastic Miller is when it’s plural.
Travels well with: John Hiatt- The Eclipse Sessions; Steve Earle- Guy