review - Scott Miller & The Commonwealth's Citation

SCOTT MILLER has long been Knoxville’s prodigal son du jour, from his stellar work with the still-missed V-Roys to his more recent solo outings with the Commonwealth, and the persistent accolades his twangy, grassy rock n’ roll has garnered are hard-earned and well-deserved; Miller’s knack for country-flavored guitar pop songwriting falls second only to his flawless East Tennessean croon, and his work remains peppered with unmistakable regional character even as he stands poised for continued national recognition. It’s unfortunate, then, that Citation (his third record with the ever-rotating Commonwealth) lacks the inspired verve of earlier records, scaring up diminishing returns on well-worn musical and lyrical themes. “Wild Things”, for instance, milks the last mileage out of a variation on a guitar melody that’s been hanging around since the days of the V-Roys, and “The Only Road” fumbles the sincere gravity of Miller’s historical song-stories, steering the sentiment towards the schmaltzy and the predictable. Luckily the Sam Houston bio-tune“Say Ho” fares better, drawing strength from its source material and Miller’s disappointment in a perceived betrayal by Tennessee of one of its greatest sons. Of the most interest here is an indistinct political dabbling, on the clumsy but well-intentioned satire of “8 Miles A Gallon” and the lively “Jodie”, in which a deployed solider chides a cuckolding friend. (Curiously, Neil Young cover “Hawks And Doves” has little but praise for the United States.) In the end the record is a well-recorded and intentioned minor work, and if nothing else it’s a credit to Miller that it’s surprising and a little disappointing that there aren’t twice as many whistling-two-days-later hooks.

RIYL: Steve Earle, Son Volt, Appalachian rock

MP3: "Only Everything" (3:07)

Article expanded from the KNOXVILLE VOICE, where I accidentally identified "Summons" as the song that sounds like Bryan Adams, when it's actually "Freedom's A Stranger."