Ben Miller Band

"I LIKE THE IDEA OF SAYING SOMETHING VERY COMPLICATED IN A VERY SIMPLE WAY," BEN MILLER STATES. "THAT'S WHAT WE STRIVE FOR MUSICALLY, AND WHAT I STRIVE FOR LYRICALLY—TO GET DIRECTLY TO THE POINT."GETTING TO THE POINT IS SOMETHING THAT THE BEN MILLER BAND DOES CONSISTENTLY ON CHOKE CHERRY TREE, THE JOPLIN, MISSOURI-BRED COMBO'S THIRD ALBUM AND SECOND NEW WEST RELEASE. THE CONSISTENTLY COMPELLING SET OFFERS 11 NEW EXAMPLES OF MILLER'S DECEPTIVELY UNPRETENTIOUS SONGCRAFT, BENEATH WHOSE RAMSHACKLE EXTERIOR LURKS STURDY, INFECTIOUS MELODIES AND RESONANT, EMOTIONALLY INSIGHTFUL LYRICS.MILLER'S BAND DELIVERS SUCH MEMORABLE NEW TUNES AS "NOTHING GETS ME DOWN," "AKIRA KUROSAWA," "TRAPEZE," "LIGHTHOUSE" AND "MISSISSIPPI CURE" WITH THE SORT OF UNPRETENTIOUS ENTHUSIASM THAT'S ALREADY WON THE GROUP A DEVOTED FAN BASE THAT STRETCHES FROM THE BAND'S MIDWESTERN HOME TURF TO THE U.K. AND EUROPE, WHERE THEY'VE TOURED TO RAVE REVIEWS.CHOKE CHERRY TREE INTRODUCES A RETOOLED BEN MILLER BAND LINEUP, WITH MILLER AND FELLOW FOUNDING MEMBER SCOTT LEEPER JOINED BY NEW ADDITIONS RACHEL AMMONS AND SMILIN' BOB LEWIS. THE PAIR'S MULTI-INSTRUMENTAL SKILLS BRING ADDED AUTHORITY TO MILLER'S ROOTSY NEW COMPOSITIONS, WHILE MAINTAINING THE HIGH ENERGY LEVEL (COMPLETE WITH HOMEMADE INSTRUMENTS CONSTRUCTED FROM BROKEN AND DISCARDED AXES) THAT ORIGINALLY ENDEARED THE BAND TO ITS FANS. ELSEWHERE, RACHEL AMMONS' EXPRESSIVE VOCALS LEND DEPTH TO THE HAUNTING "REDWING BLACKBIRD."

• http://www.benmillerband.com/