Masters Of The Burial

• Posted: Wed 2 Dec 2009
• By: Kev

I was going to tell you that Amy Millan has performed as part of Broken Social Scene, but then again just about every artist in the World has at some point been in the band, in fact i'm pretty sure the tramp who sleeps rough in the doorway of a shop in Leeds, which is near to a music shop will have done by association.

She is though responsible for the wonderful work that Stars have produced across their brilliant albums and is now onto solo album number two with her latest release Masters Of The Burial (released 7th December through Arts & Crafts).

I've always thought she had a superb voice from her previous work i've mentioned above, but stripped of as much backing here, her voice seems even better, i'm sure anyone who is in to the technical aspects of music could find fault with her vocalk if they wanted, but for me it's a rich and almost woozy vocal that draws you into the song without you even realising it.

The album itself is much the same, eleven tracks that clock up just the thirty one minutes, it's not filled with unneccessary filler or padded out with extra long instrumental sections in the songs, instead it's a beautifully crafted afair that will appeal to indiekids and folk fans alike.

Content wise it's an intimate affair, with personal lyrics that you can't help but soak up and contemplate like on Old Perfume that ties in memories to a scent "You're like an old perfume that brings back memories, that old forgotten dream" or the lovelorn brilliance of Low Sail that you'll sing the closing bars to without knowing who exactly it's about as she promises "I'll find my way back to you".

My two personal favourites though come in the middle of the album and are almost polar opposites in terms of mood. The brilliant but mournful sounding Bury This, being followed by the upbeat Finish Line, proving that strum along isn't a one off she also repeats the trick on I Will Follow You Into The Dark.

An impressive, warm and cosy album that you will return to, from the twinkling opener Bruised Ghosts to the plaintive Bound that closes the album, each track has a story to tell and in Amy Millan we have the best possible voice and writer to piece these emotional pmoments together.