Shambles Miller - Shambles Vs. The Dragonwizard

Label: Self-release Official MySpace It’s difficult to name albums for the most part. Your title has to make a point, sometimes about the album, or at least be a memorable line from a song. So what to expect from something called Shambles Vs. The Dragonwizard? Well, it’s a fitting collection of songs about insurmountable tasks like forgetting your phobias and stories about robots from Scottish brogue singing artist Shambles Miller. While it’s just fair, his demo at least makes an impression. There’s something about Miller’s voice that reminds me of Jonathan Coulton, or maybe it’s the acoustic guitar, beard, glasses, and songs about things like robots and being afraid of being afraid. When he tries to be at least semi-serious, like on ‘Nothing Unfolding’ or ‘My Best Friend Is An Outsider,’ it usually ends up sounding a bit like angry café performances – songs about girls gone by or about how you feel alienated. In fact the most enjoyable moment is the story song ‘Robots.’ “Robots are there to feel this way,” turns into, “We have a kind of synergy – you took all my energy.” Evolving from a silly robot rumination into one about feelings is a fitting transition, and as a result the song comes off as the least forced thing. On the other hand, the almost five minute ‘Nothing Unfolding’ is just plain lugubrious. The sappy couplets like old/cold, older/bolder, and the like sound stale and hackneyed in what could otherwise be a powerful ‘Oh Comely’ moment if done well. It’s that old thing again: I’ll wait for the full length and see what happens. For now, I’ll keep a small tab on Shambles, mainly because I think that it’s a perfectly well executed average. Label: Self-release Official MySpace It’s difficult to name albums for the most part. Your title has to make a point, sometimes about the album, or at least be a memorable line from a song. So what to expect from something called Shambles Vs. The Dragonwizard? Well, it’s a fitting collection of songs about insurmountable tasks like forgetting your phobias and stories about robots from Scottish brogue singing artist Shambles Miller. While it’s just fair, his demo at least makes an impression. There’s something about Miller’s voice that reminds me of Jonathan Coulton, or maybe it’s the acoustic guitar, beard, glasses, and songs about things like robots and being afraid of being afraid. When he tries to be at least semi-serious, like on ‘Nothing Unfolding’ or ‘My Best Friend Is An Outsider,’ it usually ends up sounding a bit like angry café performances – songs about girls gone by or about how you feel alienated. In fact the most enjoyable moment is the story song ‘Robots.’ “Robots are there to feel this way,” turns into, “We have a kind of synergy – you took all my energy.” Evolving from a silly robot rumination into one about feelings is a fitting transition, and as a result the song comes off as the least forced thing. On the other hand, the almost five minute ‘Nothing Unfolding’ is just plain lugubrious. The sappy couplets like old/cold, older/bolder, and the like sound stale and hackneyed in what could otherwise be a powerful ‘Oh Comely’ moment if done well. It’s that old thing again: I’ll wait for the full length and see what happens. For now, I’ll keep a small tab on Shambles, mainly because I think that it’s a perfectly well executed average.