Whoever said that life is supposed to be one big happy face? Not Quebec-born Lynn Miles, whod opt for intensity over giggles any day. Besides, as she discovered long ago, You can make a perfect plan and see it all unravel.
Unravel is Miles third album, and a damn fine one. Listening to her, you suspect that while all those solitary hours traveling between performances have added to her burden of introspection, thats likely how shed have it anyway. How else could she have found the time to burrow so deeply into the heart of melancholy, or come to so respect the exquisite edge of hurt?
For all its pain, Miles music frequently shimmers and occasionally even bounces, a nourishing blend of pop and roots, strong melodies, and singular phrasing which suggests the bliss before the fall that preoccupies her. Equally surprising, and bracing, is the absence of cynicism in the face of disappointment. Perhaps its because Miles is too clear-sighted to hide behind a sneer, preferring to stare life, that old trampler of good hearts, in the eye.
