A Little Knox Music: Scott Miller's For Crying Out Loud

This is long overdue, and I apologize for that. My wife and I were moving into our new house the week this album saw its official release, and I guess I just never got around to posting this. I started several times to try to write some huge, song-by-song review with elaborate deconstructions of the music and lyrics. I never felt as though I was doing it justice... and I guess I gave up a bit. I'm sorry.

I'm not going to do an elaborate review here now either. I'll just tell you that Scott Miller and the Commonwealth have never disappointed me before. If you've been paying attention to this blog at all over the past year, then you know that already. I named this thing after one of his song lyrics and have posted on him more than any other artist since I started doing this. Just trust me when I say this one is good too.

Or you could take other people's words too. The album's been out for a couple of months now, so there are plenty of glowing reviews out there already. Twangville named it one of the "Albums of the Month" for March/April. Americana Roots calls it a "great ride." Heck... there are positive reviews all over the place. The album also spent the last month and a half in the top five on the Americana Album Airplay Chart.

I got Scott himself to talk about the album with me when it was released, and posted my interview with him back in April. If you missed it the first time (it didn't have an mp3 with it... so it didn't get picked up by The Hype Machine), go ahead and check it out now. Scott talks very openly about the writing and recording processes on the record. He also reveals the story behind "I'm Right Here My Love," a beautiful duet with Patty Griffin, and one of the most heartfelt and emotional songs he's ever written. Seriously... go read the interview.

Now that you've done that... here are a couple of tracks. After that story, I have to share "I'm Right Here My Love" with you. I'll also throw in the rocking opener, "Cheap Ain't Cheap," just to even things out a bit.

In one of my scrapped attempts at a previous review I noted that this album should rank right there as one of Scott's best efforts. And it should.

He opens the album with the lyric, "I got nothin' for you," but that's simply not true. What Scott Miller "got" is twelve solid tracks that will inspire you to take action ("Cheap Ain't Cheap"), move you to tears ("I'm Right Here My Love"), and move you out of your seat and onto the dance floor (ironically... a cover of Tom T. Hall's "I Can't Dance" with harmony vocals from Tim O'Brien). Give it a shot.

Scott Miller & The Commonwealth: I'm Right Here My Love (Buy Album)

Scott Miller & The Commonwealth: Cheap Ain't Cheap (Buy Album)