Review: Lynn Miles ~ Fall for Beauty

by Jim Blum

Lynn Miles
Fall for Beauty
(True North)

Unlike Jonathan Byrd (in my last review), Lynn Miles didn’t have to travel to Canada to record her new album Fall for Beauty; that’s where she is from. Lynn is one of those singers with a catch in her voice, which often echoes a catch in her poetry. She has a knack for catching her listeners off guard with an unexpected shift in tempo or lyrics. In the song “Save Me,” for example, it isn’t until half way through the song that you realize the person worthy of the saving has run off. Ouch.

Much of the album is contemporary, bordering on AAA, but we found a handful of gems. “Goodbye,” the album’s final song, is a duet with Jim Bryson. Lynn and Jim play the part of lovers who have intellectually come to the conclusion that it’s time to call it quits. As they trade verses, their reasoning is sensible, but of course inside both are filled with regret and second thoughts.

If you happen to be a struggling musician, you’ll dig “Three Chords and the Truth” which explains quite clearly the price you pay to sing. The best song in both melody and message is “I Will.” This is not only a declaration that it’s time to return to a time of better spirit, it is a decision to take action. Let’s hope we all can come to the same conclusion.