John Mieras – Painted Glass (Self-Released, 2011)
John Mieras is a college educated musician whose background in choral conducting, counter-tenor singing and French Horn are balanced by the informal schooling he received picking guitar with his grandfather. His voice has the high purity of Don McLean, backed on the opening “Love & Rent” by harmonies that suggest CS&N. His music could be classified as contemporary folk, but in the rich veins explored by Paul Simon, Elliot Smith and others who ventured beyond the acoustic guitar and stool. You can hear a suggestion of Simon’s Andean flavors in the bass and organ of “Yesterday (I Wish There Was a Way),” and Mieras’ subtle use of horns adds interesting texture to his original songs of longing, nostalgia and regret. Working out of Colorado, Mieras has yet to build a national profile, but this mini-LP should garner some fans coast-to-coast.
