Girl at the Rock Shows

It’s a cold and snowy Wednesday night. The boyfriend is whipping up some dinner, the cats are begging for him to drop something, and I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that I won’t be able to stay in my cozy house all night since I have a show to get to tonight. I’m restless, frustrated, and tired, and I need something to spark some energy and excitement in my night. You know what that means—it’s time to check out a new album.

“My Own” opens Zach Miller’s new album ‘Saturn’s Return: Solemn Days.’ This song starts slow and steady as a saxophone comes in and whisks me as far away from the snow falling outside. There’s a groove to this song that is instantly infectious. I love the fact that the beat that kicks off this song stays true through the entire three-minute track and that everything else just kind of layers over it. The saxophone quickly takes the spotlight in this song but also gives space for all of the other wonderous parts of instrumentation to shine here and there. Overall, the composition of this song had a sense of depth to it that I can’t quite put into words. The song starts off hollow but quickly turns triumphant before falling back into something almost sad. I love the rollercoaster ride of this song and can’t wait to see if this is a theme throughout the other six tracks on this album.

“The Eclipse of Me” kicks off a bit stronger than “My Own” did and has this almost frantic aura to it while remaining beautifully calm at the same time. The beat is quicker, and the notes fly by faster, yet something is calming about the intricacies that sparkle throughout this lengthy eight-minute song. Although I’m not typically one for eight-minute songs (I mean, let’s face it, I absolutely have undiagnosed ADHD), Zach Miller’s signature move of creating sways in movement and mood kept me engaged throughout this entire track. Throughout this song, I felt moments that made me smile from ear to ear without any real reason and others that made me feel a sense of sorrow in my soul that was honestly a bit hard to shake at times.

Although “Inside Out” starts fairly slow and tender, it doesn’t take long for Zach and the other amazing musicians he has on this track to hit you with an incredible and almost deafening wall of sound. It’s dramatic and oh so very metal. Okay, maybe not metal, as this is still absolutely a jazz-leaning song in the style of Zach, but there’s just something so intense about the wall of sound that comes into play in this song. I feel like the passion and fire radiating throughout this song almost translate into frustration. This gave me a chance to blow off some steam and let go of some stress that I had been feeling throughout today after not being able to catch up on everything I wanted to. This bombastic wave of sound is quickly followed by a soothing calm that almost acts as that friend telling you it’s okay to break down. It’s okay to have a moment as long as you find the beauty in having that moment. Okay, these are deep thoughts on a Wednesday night, but I feel like I am trying to put you in my headspace as I listen to this song. It may help explain just how dynamic this song and this album from Zach Miller really are.

“Lighter” is the first song on this album to feature vocals. The sung vocals are done by the man of the hour- Zach Miller with the more rap parts being done by the amazing Mario Stokes. I instantly fell in love with the way both voices almost blended into the mix, as if it were just another instrument. At the end of the day, that is all a voice is, right? An instrument. Something used to evoke emotion, explain feelings, and get deep down in your soul. Mario’s voice and word choice, in particular, do just that. I love that the words about “wanting to feel lighter” seem to relate back to what I was trying to convey with my words about “Inside Out” but took them to a new level. The carefree rap, which has a very Minnesota hip-hop vibe to it and definitely dazzles throughout this quick three-minute track, hit me right in the gut in the right ways. Being that this is the only song with vocals in it, I’m not going to give it all away, but please spend some time with this song and make sure you feel the words; don’t just hear them. I promise it will change your outlook on your day, your week, your month, your year, and your life.

“Who Are We?” is a super short song at just a couple of seconds over one minute long, but don’t let that fool you. This beautiful track gives you a second to reflect. You can use this minute to reflect on the previous tracks or be a bit more selfish about it and think back on things in your own head. I love that Zach has provided you a space on this album to do this. In this fast-paced world we live in, I feel like we all forget to just take a moment and check in with ourselves. I can’t thank Zach and the other amazing musicians on this song enough for giving me that moment today.

I already had an idea of what I would get from “Porch Chimes” just based on the song title and the vibe of the previous tracks. This is a very calming song with a slight hint of ambiance behind it, much like you would get from actual porch chimes. Don’t let me using the word ambiance fool you. “Porch Chimes” is full of life, but it’s a still life. It’s the kind of song that would be perfect to put in your headphones when you’re going out for a winter stroll in a fresh dusting of snow (yes, we Minnesotans do that, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the year). This beautiful song is just over five minutes long, and although I feel like I kind of zoned out for some of it, it was the kind of zoning out that my body had been craving.

This album ends with the calming and beautiful song “Solemn Days.” Spoken word by various amazing local legends and musicians (E.g., Bryn Battani, Charleigh, Wolf, Shafrin Islam, Fairooza, Nazifa, and Max Gordon Meier) leads you out of Zach Miller’s world and back to reality, so beautiful while leaving you something to think about. “Time to take one step within ourselves.”

‘Saturn’s Return: Solemn Days’ from Zach Miller is such a unique thing for me as it’s so out of my normal wheelhouse. That being said, I know Zach from his work with various local acts (specifically JoJo Green) and know the passion that he puts into each performance. I loved how he captured that signature feeling and put it into this album. I also loved reading familiar names as people he collaborated with in the liner notes. Zach Miller is one of the musician’s musician kind of guys, and to hear him truly get the spotlight he deserves with the work he put into this album has absolutely made my day.

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