RICK MILLER: Unstuck In Time (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Forced to take a forced rest due to the pandemic in 2020, many artists have taken advantage of this period to be more creative than they had originally planned. The second half of 2020 saw the blossoming of many albums inspired more or less by Covid 19. Rick Miller, already known for his regularity in releasing a new album almost every year, took the opportunity to redouble his inspiration by offering his second record in the same year, "Unstuck In Time".

A resurgence of activity that could only worry the editorial staff of Music Waves. The Canadian's previous opus, "Belief in the Machine", had indeed seemed quite bland, repeating without originality the same recipes already exploited to the core by Rick Miller. Then, a second album a few months later... Concern reinforced by the fact that the structure of the object was a carbon copy of its predecessor: two pieces longer than ten minutes framing a handful of shorter tracks.

But the same causes do not always produce the same effects. If the 11 minutes of 'Correct to the Core' that introduced 'Belief in the Machine' could easily have been reduced to three-four minutes, the twelve minutes of 'The Plague' are amply justified and alternate instrumental passages sometimes gloomy, sometimes atmospheric, Pink Floyd's guitar, phlegmatic vocals and Gregorian choirs for a very cinematic rendering.

Also very cinematic, and particularly disturbing, 'Fateful Apparitions' installs an unusual ghostly and funereal atmosphere in Rick Miller who finally leaves his comfort zone with happiness. Taking advantage of this emancipatory desire, 'Covid Concerto' (inspired by you-know-what) is an instrumental where electro sounds and twirling violin create a heavy feeling of urgency balanced by the refreshing Spanish atmosphere of 'La Causa', between Hispanic guitar and percussions imitating castanets.

The other tracks are more in the Canadian's "classic" melodic line, for better ('Lost Continuum' and its camelian atmosphere) or worse ('In Sync with the System'). If the guitar parts are particularly enjoyable, whether they are arpeggiated or throwing themselves into stratospheric solos, enhanced by the interventions of the flute, violin and cello, the vocals remains Rick Miller's weakness. The timbre is certainly pleasant but devoid of emotion and generates in the long run a feeling of monotony, fortunately counterbalanced by long instrumental tracks.

By agreeing to step out of his comfort zone, Rick Miller succeeds in (re)arousing an interest that we thought had definitely disappeared. If "Unstuck In Time" is not wildly original, it nevertheless conceals enough mystery to make his listening interesting. - Official website

RICK MILLER

UNSTUCK IN TIME

PROGRESSIVE PROMOTION

PROGRESSIVE ROCK