In today’s world it seems like less people sit down and read a good book. The next best thing may be Mike Miz’s “Live at Downtown Arts” album. He has great narratives inside his lyrics and outstanding guitar playing. Plus, it’s not often that a solo performer can play charming love songs while at the same time melt your face with flashy guitar solos, but Miz is able to do it.
Miz, a young local musician, starts off the record with a gem in “Wink.” The song has a great melody and grabs your attention right off the bat with a phenomenal guitar solo. Miz builds a motif with his guitar work; he constantly refers back to the same lick and keeps you guessing with where he will go next.
In other songs like “Broken Wheels” and “Slow You Down,” Miz tells a story with his lyrics about burdens in his past. In addition to his superb pop songwriting, Miz has a few folk and bluegrass songs on this album. “Canyon Echo’s Glow” is a great bluegrass song where Miz rips through some terrific guitar riffs, while “That’s the Way My Mama Raised Me” is an easy-listening folk song that tells a story of Miz’s childhood.
Miz finishes the CD with a quick blues song called “Brakes.” It’s a catchy song that mixes percussive strumming with a standard blues progression that can appeal to almost anyone’s ears. After each song, Miz leaves you in awe and you may want to clap and cheer just as much as the crowd that was there the night of the show in Wilkes-Barre.
Rating: W W W W
Source: theweekender.com