Mark Miller

This Bridge

 Self-released

One of Americana’s most literate writers and deft pickers, the criminally underrecognized Mark Miller, returns with This Bridge. This writer hailed his 2022 Standing On Shoulders as ‘one of the most impressive independent Americana story albums. Narratives are still here, but give way largely to stunningly vivid character portraits and detailed paintings of landscapes. Meanwhile, Miller’s six-string and twelve-string acoustic finger picking, when combined with the high-profile session players, serves his songs exceedingly well. Those players are Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist Simon Martensson, mandolinist and banjoist Dennis Parker (Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder), and acclaimed keyboardist and accordionist Jeff Taylor (Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan). Joining them are guitarist Mike Waldron, mandolinist Dave Ellis, bassist Drew Lawson, and drummer Paul Barrie. South African producer Robin Salmon (Surrender Hill, See No Evil) is at the helm.

 Many of these songs are from the past, some first-hand and others second-hand, indelible memories that Miller can’t seem to shake.  Those situations are always good fodder for songs. The opening verse to the title track paints a rather desolate picture but quickly turns to heartbreak, dating back to 1989. The bridge, pictured on the album cover is described -” Rusted steal, splintered pine/Poison Ivy, old fishin’ line/Memories of a life gone by/Sadness stacked up to the sky”  and the heartbreak – “Where I touched your lovely face/Where I learned uncommon grace/Where I lost this human race/that led to an empty place…./without you.” Miller’s lyrics are consistently on point. In the opener “The Newport,” he takes real-life historical accounts of what his East Tennessee hometown looked like in the 19th century with more than a little irony in the lyrics, at one point calling it an ‘’awfully beautiful town,’’ and ending with “Death’s in every man’s eyes.”

“That Was Me” tells the story of an unnamed mentor, perhaps a grandfather or uncle, who lived an earthy existence but treasured the youngster. Similarly, in “Lullabye for Fear,” he does point to another hero of sorts, specifically his grandfather (“Granddaddy always smelled like gasoline…that Texaco star was his guide’’). The memories run from smells like that to the sound of shutting screen doors. It’s almost beyond vivid, and Miller doesn’t let him. Teaming with co-writer John Cable (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), he relates the visceral damage of the Vietnam War and the resulting PTSD in “Fly Away.”. Yet, like so many of these songs, the emotional component is as deep as his vivid imagery. In this case, he nods to the power of family reconciliation.

He addressed the plight of the disappearing small family farm in conjunction with co-writer Kurt Thomas in “Farmer’s Prayer.” Not every song is resolved, however. In the remake of “Maddie’s Dream,” co-written with Phil Barnhart, he paints the picture of a Southern girl escaping a boring life and moving to Music City with all of $500, with hopes of making it to the stage. He ends the song with her falling in love, leaving us to guess which of the dreams were fulfilled. If you guess that she didn’t fulfill her dream of stardom, that’s probably the right take.

However, in the backdrop of so many songs about the past, the pivotal track is “From the Wreckage,” co-written with Salmon and Afton Seekins. It’s about the physical and emotional damage to Appalachia and Asheville from the devastating Hurricane Helene. Miller makes this almost an anthemic ode to resilience when singing, “From the wreckage/ We found love we’d never known/From the wreckage/we found faith to sing a song/ From the wreckage/ We found the strength to carry on.”

Emotions from pain and heartbreak, as well as comfort and beauty, populate these songs,  but the lasting takeaway is in those last lines of that song. Even as painful memories shape us, we somehow find the strength to endure. Songcraft does not get any better, as this is one of the most memorable Americana albums released this year.

• Jim Hynes

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