Pete Miller doesn’t need crashing drums guiding his every verse in the new single “A Light out There” to establish a sturdy rhythm for his debut release. With little more than the strumming of his guitar and a smoky vocal he calls his own, Miller takes us on an old-fashioned folk adventure that doesn’t feel especially retro given its sterling vitality. A player of his style never requires a lot of bells and whistles to entrance the audience, and in “A Light out There,” we’re introduced to one of the more talented rookies of his style right now.
These harmonies are relatively simple, but being devoid of intricacy gives them a far more humanized tone than what we would have heard in a more synthetic mix. Miller’s straightforward attack is best served when left alone – hence, “A Light out There” feels like the perfect kind of song to showcase his best qualities. There’s no need for blustery basslines or even the presence of additional strings; from where I sit, he’s able to conjure up a tonality tornado on his own just fine. Some of his peers should take a cue from this release, but even if they did, I still think the song would stand out in a crowd at the moment.
Rather than creating a verse around predictable rhymes, or even the whim of the melody he’s cultivating, Miller utilizes a traditional storytelling style that really suits his vocal tone rather beautifully. He’s aware of his depth and how he can use it to make a narrative even stronger than it already would have been on paper, and with a little more time and experience under his belt, I can see him crafting even greater tales to tell inside of a simple, harmony-based framework.
“A Light out There” is a fantastic debut for Pete Miller, and I think it’s setting a good standard for him to live up to with his next release. His skills are too refined to go unexploited, and while this is a good initial offering, it’s obvious that he’s got the ability to push himself a little further as a composer in future efforts. He shouldn’t rush what he’s got at the moment, but as he finds his footing in an incredibly competitive underground scene, I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes a force to be reckoned with a lot sooner than some of his evolving contemporaries will.
Heather Savage
