Amilia K. Spicer— Now It’s Just More Crap To Carry

I like the name, though it’s no Biff Pocoroba or Phil Villapiano, but more than that I like the music. Musicwise, Amilia K Spicer sits amongst a number of musicians such as Pieta Brown, The Wailin’ Jennys, Lucinda Williams and others who have made an indelible impression, but the name…! Eleanor Rigby had it, but only after a few listens. Jennifer Tompkins had it, probably because she was born on a Monday. Amilia K Spicer, though, has it from the git-go.

With as cool a name as that, she had better be delivering the goods, right? Well, she does. From the “Ghost Riders In the Sky” shuffle on the opening track (“Fill Me Up”) to the ender (“Shine”), she rocks, shuffles, and croons through twelve beauties, all very good to outstanding and all ready for discovery. I had a whole list of reasons you should listen, from phrasing to songwriting to voice to production, but allow me to toss those aside to get to the meat. And that meat is the music itself. That “Ghost Riders” reference? Check it out.

Nice, eh? It doesn’t stop there. Spicer has written a whole passel of tunes to tickle the aural palate, some a bit more rock, some a bit softer, all musically and lyrically way above the norm, whatever that is these days. I really am not aware anymore, 2017 shaping up to be the monster that it is, musically. I mean, I don’t know art, but I know what I like, and to me, Wow and Flutter is art! And, as with all art, I (and by “I”, I mean you) search for the meanings behind the art.

The key to Amilia’s success here lies in her commitment to melody. And where there is melody, there is usually harmony. She structures her songs around that, her voice a conduit to space and time and the mood of the moment, meaning that her songs are not just songs but moments in time. I listen to “Lightning” and I hear music I have heard before, maybe in the same key, yet it is new all over again. The chords. The voices, The crescendos. The feel. The sound!

I could name ten artists she might sound like in places, but I won’t because it is unfair to Spicer and would be probably unfair to the others too. Just because a musician lays down eight measures in a certain style does not mean that it is not new, it only points to a certain familiarity and, truth be told, we all need a bit of that to relate. No, she wraps herself around her music as all good musicians have todo to create. And what she has created here is both beautiful and fresh.

Watch and listen closely to the videos. Then, if you want to hear more, follow this link. A few moments of time to discover good music? That is a trade I will make every time.

The header above? About the crap? I included it because it made me chuckle. Watch the second video all the way through. You will understand.