Miracle Mile, "Glow", MeMe Records CDMM11, 2005
 

Lavishly packaged (the disc arrives encased in a multi-colored fold-out digi-pack with two booklets of lyrics and extensive personal ruminations of the recording process) and impeccably recorded (the bass booms, every string, bongo tap, and vocal passage resonates with warmth) this British duo's hazy, cerebral sixth release is an acoustic pop gem that bridges new-school contemporary alternative rock as exemplified by such artists as Coldplay, Keane, and Travis with old-school classicism in the vein of Sir Paul McCartney, Nick Drake, and Richard Thompson. Vocalist/guitarist Trevor Jones and bassist/keyboardist Marcus Cliffe embed wistful melodies within arrangements that are so simple in execution yet orchestral in nature, they forge a sweeping cinematic veneer without succumbing to middle-of-the-road blandness; a common trap for many a veteran acoustic artist that steps outside the safety of standard rhythm section accompaniment. Miracle Mile's secret weapon is their proclivity to employ instruments not normally associated with their genre, namely concertina, marimbas, various shakers/percussive gadgets et al. The striking trumpet/flugle horn parts as played by Chris Bachelor (the opening motif to "What Kate Did Next" initially comes as a surprise, yet seems so natural upon repeated listening) and BJ Cole's weeping pedal steel (embellishing the mid-tempo rocker "Beads Without A Chain" with indelible charm, and affording a pastoral Nashville Skyline evocative backdrop to the otherwise plodding rhythm of "An Average Sadness" - pay close attention to a pair of clomping-in-4/4 time Doc Martens, size 14, courtesy of Cliffe) are as memorable as they are essential. Grand musical ideas abound in almost every track. A spry eighth-note violin counter-melody affords "Strange Sympathy" much tension in the early verses only to drop out completely in the second verse and chorus amid major key flourishes. The subtle addition of reverb/delay to the opening jazz flavored guitar chords of the title track gives the impression of a smoky, after-hours saloon interlude. And "Hey Light Of Day" exudes the type of melody and chord progression you'd expect from George Harrison's post-Beatles best. You don't have to play to the blues to play the organ as demonstrated by Cliffe's heavenly Hammond intro and subsequent accompaniment to "Your Latest Graze." Records like "Glow" never grow old, which is a good thing indeed. © Tom Semioli