Information/Write-up
If you do an online search for Canadian singer-songwriters the same names always come up, names such as Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Neil Young.
One name that rarely comes up is that of Lynn Miles, and it always amazes me that this outstanding songwriter is not better known and celebrated outside her own country. She is an exceptional talent, both as a songwriter and a performer, but this is an artist who has always done things her own way and on her own terms. Her focus has always been on her music rather than becoming a star act, which is probably why she has succeeded in building a career, as a musician, that is now entering its fourth decade.
The celebrated New York Times music critic, John Pareles, wrote that Miles' music "makes forlorn feel like a state of grace." To listen to Lynn Miles’ music is to understand exactly what he meant. She writes melodies that haunt you and lyrics that seem to look into your soul to find a connection with your own life’s stories. In 2008 Lynn embarked on her ‘Black Flowers’ project, an ambitious intention to record all the songs she has written, using just her voice and guitar playing.
Following on from that first Black Flowers album there have, to date, been three more. Black Flowers Vol 2 was released in 2009, Vol 3 in 2012, and Vol 4, the latest in the series to date, was released in 2014. Now, we have a “Bouquet of Black Flowers”, 15 tracks drawn from across the four volumes so far recorded. The strength of these songs lies in the simplicity of the recording. Lynn’s songs are always enjoyable but recorded in this way they become intimate and more personal, almost as if you’re in the room while she’s performing. It brings added depth and intensity to songs like ‘Sweet & Tender Heart’, ‘I Always Told You the Truth’, and ‘Rust’, all included on this excellent selection.
-Rick Bayles
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