Ian Miles - Degradation, Death, Decay

Acoustic balladry is a deceptively risky musical realm. It’s vulnerable and exposing by nature, and if not handled with care, it can become boring rather than enthralling. However, on his first solo album away from his day job as guitarist of beloved theatrical rockers Creeper, Ian Miles darts nimbly around the potential pitfalls, creating an album that is, instead, darkly enchanting and constantly compelling. ‘Degradation, Death, Decay’ is a rich yet accessible offering abounding with variety, where plaintive, lush full-band numbers like ‘Overwhelmed’ and ‘Blood In My Mouth’ sit comfortably between fragile one-man-one-guitar setpieces such as the folksy jaunt of ‘Sunburn’. However, it’s in these more sparse tracks that Ian shines brightest, performing the likes of lead single ‘Truest Blue’ and unequivocally gorgeous ‘Priority’ with an emotional tremor in his voice that singers with his level of experience cannot often muster. There’s an occasional touch of the dramatic here too in the wintry, eerie ‘I Hope You Choke’, which could fit as well into a Creeper setlist as it could into Ian’s own (there are moments where his tone is reminiscent of frontman Will Gould’s) and the experimental ‘audioclip-11_11_2017’ that flits erratically between music and monologuing. It’s a fine debut to say the least.