Album Review: Family Secrets

Modern country rocker Sharon Miller has released her debut album Family Secrets The opening track, The Wall, is a tribute to the 22nd February 2011 magnitude 6.3 earthquake, that caused severe damage in Christchurch and Lyttelton, killing 185 people and injuring several thousand. A touching track about the wall that acts as a memorial to those whose lives were lost on that day. Miller is a storyteller, and that is obvious from the first track; with an acoustic guitar and basic drum beat, minimal backing vocals, Miller’s music is simple, clean, and lyric-driven.

With a vocal melody that combines the power of Celine Dion with the twang and accent of Shania Twain, Miller has clear, smooth vocals, that sit easily on top of the instrumentation. With songs about preferences for land a sea travel, drinking after being made redundant, the fears when your loved one is awaiting medical results, taking off your boots after a long day, and a tribute to her father (who battles heart problems for 14 years), Miller’s albums reads almost like a diary of emotionally significant events.

Family Secrets was an interesting choice to name the album, as it seems to be the one story that she is least comfortable sharing, offering a collection of potential “secrets” instead. The album has a good mix of country ballads and classic rock sounds, though the latter style of tracks (such as Cider & Wine) are a bit harder to make out the lyrics to.

Lyrics and stories behind each song can be found at www.sharonmiller.nz 

^{Review written by Alex Moulton}