TED & ALICE MILLER
Small Talk
Small Talk – Away – Birds and Bees – No
Kindness – Settle Down – Every Time – Somewhere With You – Drive – Fly
The Kite – Sweat On Me
Kindness – Settle Down – Every Time – Somewhere With You – Drive – Fly
The Kite – Sweat On Me
I’ve listened to some other music by this delightful
couple, and this album is all self-composed originals, and I find it
very interesting. They’re on the cutting-edge of ‘Americana’ on this
CD, however some of their previous work has been very acoustic and very
early country and rural in style. Lots of electric rhythm guitar on
this one. I’m always surprised at the very good recording quality
coming out of the upper Midwest. Certainly much better than the
pre-disposed and pre-determined ‘sound’ that emanates from Nashville
these days. Ted and Alice did this recording at the Pony Creek Studios
in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I’m impressed, the man on the board knows
what he (or she) is doing. The mix is precise, and right where it
needs to be. The blending of Ted and Alice’s voices, mandatory that the
mix be good, is also precise and right where it needs to be. It’s also
very interesting to me to find such good musicians working in a Midwest
studio that are so very good at what they do. Ted plays lead and rhythm
guitar as well as lap steel and bass. He does all of this extremely
well. He doesn’t let the ‘drums’ lead the beat or the sound, he
lets that happen in the sound he produces from his guitar. I’m
pleasantly surprised to hear the drums in the background instead of
drowning out the vocalist. In a lot of ‘new’ Americana music the
drums usually wind up way out front. Not so on this unique album.
Super good mix here. Alice has a very distinguished and pretty voice,
and covers lead, harmony, and backing vocals with a very nice lady’s
touch. Chad Konrad is the cool drummer I’m referring to, and he also
plays keyboard. Carly Christensen on harmonica adds a finishing touch
here and there, also well mixed and shows up in just right places. “No
Kindness” fetches some super nice acoustic guitar and slide guitar.
Very original and very entertaining and very good. What Ted is writing
sounds very personal to me, but that’s where good writers are usually
coming from, writing about what they actually know about. He reminds me
a bit of a young Hank Williams, writing what he feels, writing what he
knows, writing what he wants, writing from his heart, writing with
passion, writing with truth, writing with ability. Isn’t it amazing how
young talents, with the gift of music, find this on their own? Five
stars for Americana here.
couple, and this album is all self-composed originals, and I find it
very interesting. They’re on the cutting-edge of ‘Americana’ on this
CD, however some of their previous work has been very acoustic and very
early country and rural in style. Lots of electric rhythm guitar on
this one. I’m always surprised at the very good recording quality
coming out of the upper Midwest. Certainly much better than the
pre-disposed and pre-determined ‘sound’ that emanates from Nashville
these days. Ted and Alice did this recording at the Pony Creek Studios
in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I’m impressed, the man on the board knows
what he (or she) is doing. The mix is precise, and right where it
needs to be. The blending of Ted and Alice’s voices, mandatory that the
mix be good, is also precise and right where it needs to be. It’s also
very interesting to me to find such good musicians working in a Midwest
studio that are so very good at what they do. Ted plays lead and rhythm
guitar as well as lap steel and bass. He does all of this extremely
well. He doesn’t let the ‘drums’ lead the beat or the sound, he
lets that happen in the sound he produces from his guitar. I’m
pleasantly surprised to hear the drums in the background instead of
drowning out the vocalist. In a lot of ‘new’ Americana music the
drums usually wind up way out front. Not so on this unique album.
Super good mix here. Alice has a very distinguished and pretty voice,
and covers lead, harmony, and backing vocals with a very nice lady’s
touch. Chad Konrad is the cool drummer I’m referring to, and he also
plays keyboard. Carly Christensen on harmonica adds a finishing touch
here and there, also well mixed and shows up in just right places. “No
Kindness” fetches some super nice acoustic guitar and slide guitar.
Very original and very entertaining and very good. What Ted is writing
sounds very personal to me, but that’s where good writers are usually
coming from, writing about what they actually know about. He reminds me
a bit of a young Hank Williams, writing what he feels, writing what he
knows, writing what he wants, writing from his heart, writing with
passion, writing with truth, writing with ability. Isn’t it amazing how
young talents, with the gift of music, find this on their own? Five
stars for Americana here.
RECORD REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART – www.ntcma.net
for Country Music News International Magazine