“It’s kind of simple,” English musician Rufus Miller tells me, “of how I came to title the album Make It. I had some artwork that was for the single and I really wanted to use it for the album as I thought it reflected the album really, really well.”
And it turns out the cover art does represent the album in a significant way. You hear the expression: “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but the cover was what first drew me to Rufus Miller’s music. In simplest terms, the album art for his music across his career has always been something that I would call simply awesome. His debut Pop Skull was released in late 2018 - and the hypnotic illustration of a devil woman calls to the viewer with her glowing eyes, something that initially pulls you away from the skull she holds in her hand. The cover art of Make It is still as intriguing, choosing instead to exhibit a much less macabre image of a Hindu god Shiva and living on still in vivid colors.
Before Make It was released into the universe, Miller had released the single EP of ‘Make It’/’Long Live the King’. In the views of ‘Make It’, Miller describes it as “That song was one of the first ones I recorded for the album, and it helped me set the pace and the mood and the kind of acoustic vibe.”
And he’s right. It was one of the first songs I had heard off the album as I was trying to get an initial feel for it - and the song surprised me. It starts off mellow with an acoustic guitar and Miller’s captivating vocals enter the scene, detailing a haunting tale of realization and regret. What sells it is the simplicity. The track is composed mainly of Miller’s vocals and the sweet acoustic guitar where it adopts a more driving aspect and harmony towards the latter half of the song before recoiling into the mellow captivation once more.
Initially, it is a song that seems to sneak up on the listener, but one realizes there is no “sneaking”. Miller has shifted gears from his first album and now knows exactly how to keep a listener listening. Saying that, his debut Pop Skull is excellent - exploring different aspects of rock inspired by the 1980s and 1990s. It deserves its own review, really. But as an artist, Miller seems to have a more sure footing on this second album and knows his art on a deeper level than on the debut.
A strength that prevails from the debut is how Miller knows himself as an artist. He understands how to write a damn good song, to put it simply. But his music is more than just superficial listening enjoyment.
Rufus Miller is an emotional artist - one who captures emotion and submerges it between the notes of his songs, where it lives and is evoked through the sheer effect that comes from the music. Songs like the title track are something that is difficult to achieve; there is magic in the simplicity hailed on these acoustic portions. It takes a great amount of talent to achieve such an aspect. The music of Make It is real, honest, authentic pieces of art that capture the free human spirit while also reflecting on darkness and contemplation. And it weaves tapestries of emotion, weaves an emotion that overtakes the listener in a sense that only true art can.
But enough about the abstract - what is something that is solely about the songs themselves? Yes, they are emotional pieces. Yet, even from just a “I want to hear a song” mood where you don’t need to think about what deeper meaning lies on these tracks, it is enjoyable. “Into the Unknown” is a great opening track that welcomes you into the journey of the album. As the journey carries on, it grows more cohesive. Musically, there is always a hypnotic melody, and Miller’s voice is simply perfect for this genre of music across both the acoustic sides and the harder rock aspects carried over from the debut. The overall effect is breathtaking - this is one of those albums that I would stress to hear in order as it was intended. The mere order of the tracks is intentional, of course, but it really makes the journey special. Each track allows for the next to carry on with the magic of emotion and art. It is truly an enjoyable album that I found myself surprised with how, even outside of the emotional substance that Miller pours into the sound, it is simply pleasant to listen to.
It is a very strong second album and a very nice welcome to the music of Rufus Miller. The grunge influences carried from his youth play their part into the sounds you hear, and as someone with limited knowledge in that genre, it is still a wonderful listen.
So, perhaps, you should judge a book by its cover. Make up your mind by what the album art looks like. In this case, I found an epic album that I would be surprised if it becomes tedious no matter how many times I hear it. I love a good rock album, and at the end of the day, that is what makes Rufus Miller’s Make It so good. It is a good rock album that trails with inspiration from spiritual approaches of Hinduism and musical legends of the past. What more do you need? Pull up a chair and listen: let the cover art appeal to you, but allow for the music to be what makes you stay and listen. Let the music wash over you, the emotions fall over you like stardust. And return once more when you fancy another listen. What you find may surprise you.
Excerpt from Rufus Miller’s “Make It”
“. . .And there’s a place I go where no one knows
And it gets so cold and I don’t know how I’m gonna feel myself again
And there was a way I had it all but I lost it somehow
it was small but I know I can get it back
And there’s no way out and there’s no way in
and I don’t know how I’m gonna begin
But if I keep on singing somehow I’ll make it alright
And there’s a place so dark where I can’t speak,
and I can’t see and I can’t hear
And if it’s all too much make it go away
Make it go away
Make it go away....”
Album Credits
released July 1, 2020
All tracks written by Rufus Miller except "Rain When I Die", written by Jerry Cantrell/ Layne Staley/ Sean Kinney/ Mike Starr
Vocals, acoustic, electric, 8 string and bass guitar by Rufus Miller,
Track 1-3 & 10 recorded & produced by Peter Iversen & Paul Kaiser at Victoria Studio, Copenhagen 2020
Track 5 recorded & produced by Zaharia Hameed, Copenhagen 2018
Track 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 11 recorded and produced by Renato Dias Gudbergsen at his home studio in Copenhagen 2018-2020
Percussion and drums on Track 1-3 & 10 by Paul Kaiser
Guest Electric guitar on track 3 by Peter Iversen
Guest acoustic guitar and backing vocals on track 2 by Pali Acuna
Guest Electric guitar on track 4 By Pali Acuna
Percussion on track 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 11 by Renato Dias Gundbergsen
Spoken word Vocal on Track 4 by Renato Dias Gundbergsen
Violin on track 6, 7, 8, 9 & 11 by Mascka
Flute on track 7 & 9 by Svend Babaji
Flute on track 4 by Adam Babaji
Backing vocals on track 6 by Stine Rahbek
Mixed by Christian Ki Dall
Mastered by Brian Lucey @ Magic Garden Mastering, Los Angeles
Cover art by Alexandre Goulet