Singer-songwriter Miller Roberts knows that an acoustic and a story has the power to heal, and the power to break.
It only took a few seconds of hearing All Over Again to realise that Miller Roberts is an indie-folk act with undeniable presence. With a quivering, vulnerable timbre and an instinct for colourful chords, the Novocastrian plunged me into her world and kept me there till the swift resolve.
If you’re a folk fiend that visits the realms of Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, and Lucy Rose, you’re in for a real treat. Here’s why this fellow ponderer is worth the trip.
Miller begins the painfully honest tune by laying down a chord using her voice; an organ pressing softly behind. Then, an acoustic and an understated melody take hold.
“Falling down, without a sound, not usually like this, well at least I like to think”, she reasons with herself. Clearly, to varying levels of success. Written in the heat of lockdown following a break-up, finding empathy for the artist isn’t difficult.
The monotony of the lockdown caused a Groundhog Day effect for Miller. “I was stuck in the same apartment, doing the same things over and over again and it was starting to break my heart”, Miller explains. What’s worse than a bad day? A bad day over and over again – an endless cycle of the same shit. The tracks’ title begins to make a lot of sense.
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Producer Jackson Barclay comes into play soon after, sprinkling lush magic over the slow burn. One by one, he introduces keys, organic percussion and gentle harmonica to the hypnotic sonic landscape. The instruments swell as Miller reaches for one final confession: “What a pity I’m slipping, and I’m feeling this all over again”
Heavy stuff indeed. All Over Again is a timely reminder of the role music can play for both an artist and their audience – catharsis.
Listen to All Over Again below:
