Daniel Miller
East Tennessee
Reviewed by: Jane Roser
“Oh, Tennessee. I was happy as could be/Never got too much done but livin’ sure was fun in Tennessee.”
Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Daniel Miller finds that most of his inspiration comes from places he loves and no other state evokes as much reverence as Tennessee where Miller grew up. Revisiting his home state on his latest release, East Tennessee, Miller balances just the right amount of nostalgia, tales of bootlegging, history, toe-tapping fiddle tunes and emotionally charged ballads to wrap you in a Smoky Mountain mist.
East Tennessee mixes original songs with covers and includes a kitchen party jam packed with musicians ranging from John Scott of Jamey Johnson’s band (on organ, piano and guitar), Johnny Duke from Little Big Town (on guitar and dobro), Robby Turner who performed with Waylon Jennings (on pedal steel) and members of Miller’s touring band, The High Life.
The covers are unexpected hidden gems, including ‘Lie I Believe’ originally recorded by Knoxville alt-country band The V-Roys and Harlan Howard’s ‘Tennessee’ which was showcased in the 1966 film Nashville Rebel. Miller searched everywhere for other versions of this song and when he couldn’t find any, decided to record one himself.
The first track, an original song entitled ‘The Call’, has a cool, subtly twangy intro which sets the tone for the rest of the album. The lyrics speak of how the author feels the call to come home and the journey they takes him through “the blue smoke mountains of the Cherokee/Through the mist downstream where I finally come to rest.”
‘Smoky Mountain Stomp’ is my favorite tune on the album. Loosely based on Bob Dylan’s ‘Shake, Shake Mama’, it starts off with crickets quietly chirping, then slowly a guitar riff is layered over top before things get really wild with rocking percussion and wailing electric guitars. It’s a steady, organic progression that gets the blood pumping and the dance floor on fire.
Dollywood can have Pigeon Forge and bro country can flick their Bics in Nashville, but I’ll take a rocking chair and sweet tea on a porch in East Tennessee anytime.
