by Rob Cooper
Say you're a young musician who plays the type of rootsy folk rock that is getting more popular every day. You've got an acoustic debut EP that has been favorably compared to some of the heavy-hitters of the genre (Uncle Tupelo, The Jayhawks, Son Volt etc...) What do you do next?
There's a reason why the term sophomore slump exists. You have to be careful; don't make the exact same type of record again or else the music industry pundits will say that you're stale--a one-trick pony. Don't change the formula too much, or those same pundits will say you've lost your focus. You can't re-invent yourself completely on your second record, but you are expected to "grow."
On his new record, Every Night Fight For Your Life, (1/27/98 release on Sugarfree Records) Chicago (by way of Down-state Illinois) singer/songwriter Chris Mills' treads the line quite nicely. This is a near-perfect follow-up to his impressive debut, Nobody's Favorite (also on Sugarfree Records).
A more balanced effort than his all-acoustic first record, Every Night more accurately conveys Mills' impressive range of styles without any self-indulgent stylistic heavy-handedness. The addition of electric guitar, bass and drums (basically, the addition of a band) plus steel guitar, piano and female backing vocals (courtesy of Drag City's Edith Frost) create more sonic texture, allowing Mills to explore more musical avenues than he could on another all-acoustic record. Mills, however, is one of those rare musicians whose evocative and powerful gravelley voice stands alone quite well as an instrument. (He reminds me a lot of Jay Farrar of Son Volt and UT). Fortunately, his impressive vocals (probably, in the end, the thing that most sets him apart from others of his genre) aren't lost with all the added instrumentation and remain quite clear in Brian Deck's production of the record.
Mills' live shows indicate a wide range of influences beyond the acoustic folk-rock he has become best known for. He is very accomplished in the country/folk vein, and thankfully he hasn't abandoned his roots entirely. There are several songs that wouldn't have seemed out of place on the first record; but while the new record does features some mellower, introspective acoustic numbers (Pontiac, Chenoa, Take Me Down), several blistering rock-oriented songs (Fire for You, and Sawtooth) and some impressive almost Phil Specter-ish sounding pop tracks (The Fresh Young Mouth, 1,000 Blue Eyed Girls) balance the record as a whole. Chris has also grown as a songwriter since his previous record; he admirably avoids the cliche's so rampant in modern pop, rock and country and produces catchy yet gritty songs that almost require you to sing along in your living room--if only your voice were as good.
...OK, so say you're a young musician with two locally-acclaimed records. What do you do next?
Centerstage Will Feed You
