Lilly Miller - The Fool

​Lilly Miller

The Fool
​self-released; 2021

By Jay Freeman​

Located in Fairfield, Iowa, Lilly Miller has spent the last year and a half working on her first EP, and first ever release entitled The Fool. Making music has been a personal and private endeavor in her life until recently, when she realized that songs were meant to be shared. Miller held songs from The Fool very close to her heart. She hopes now that these songs will bring comfort to anyone who thinks about the same things that she often does. The EP was recorded live at Flat Black Studios, a renovated barn in Lone Tree, Iowa, and engineered, mixed and mastered by Luke Tweedy. The Fool is a collection of songs that were written quietly over the past few years. Since this EP was recorded live with just vocals and guitar, Lilly chose pieces that she thought were melodically interesting on their own.

What the artist ended up with was an assortment of the introspections she had between the ages of 19-21. They stem from Miler’s time living in downtown Portland, Oregon. Later, she moved into her car and worked seasonal jobs in national parks and forests, which were followed by a return to the quiet plains of Iowa where she grew up. Lilly originally intended for all these songs to be acoustic, but she decided to bring her old hollow-body electric guitar to the studio, just in case. When she plugged it in for the first time ever, just to experiment, it was way too much fun. She decided from there to record two of the songs reviewed here.

On the opening track “Cathedral” Miller sings about heaven as a “place you always go, a place you call your own, a dock upon the water and a feeling you know.” Sounds like a place I’d like to visit! Miller’s guitar is full and warm, inviting and frankly, alongside her gorgeous and captivating voice, the two gave me goosebumps. From my ears, I’m hearing echoes of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez with the lonely melodic tones of Nick Drake. Next up is the title track. “The Fool” rushes over with lush sounds of the acoustic, or rather Miller’s instrument of choice here – her hollow bodied electric. There is also some low, drowning synth in the background as well, giving this number a haunting presence. Lyrically, the words seem to suggest a relationship that’s not working out so well – “I can’t always play the fool.” This one had me pulled in from the first strum. “Ancient Ritual” is a prayer for comfort, a call out to ‘God’ while praying the “Rosary on a broken string.” Miller’s voice here is rich and breathy, taking on a lead role more than her guitar I would say. Another song that just floored me.

Last is “Window” and it features a nice, full soundscape style. What I liked most about this one, well, besides the gorgeous guitar sounds and Miller’s voice, was the way she wrote the song in three short poem-like stories – the neighborhood drunk riding his bike, a man at the bottom of a well and a memory she had of being in love. That third part she sings “I was in love, the kind that keeps you lonely” – dang, if that didn’t make me cry – I mean, that’s deep stuff! I closed my eyes the second this one started, because I wanted to picture all I was hearing in my head. I was thoroughly engaged. 

​Although The Fool is a short four-song recording, it engulfs the ears with rich tenderness and deep feelings. A beautiful debut, that well, I’m going to say it – you’d be a fool not to listen to. Here’s hoping this midwestern musician puts out a full-length album sometime soon.

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