SIOBHAN MILLERCelebrates The Release Of New Album ‘Bloom’ with Sept/Oct Tour
SIOBHAN MILLER
Celebrates The Release Of New Album ‘Bloom’ with Sept/Oct Tour
“A reputation as one of the finest singers of her generation” – Songlines
“A top Scottish voice”- Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
“There’s a real tenderness to her vocals and she chooses her collaborators and material astutely.”- MOJO
“One of the finest voices on the planet’’ –Mike Harding
‘One of the brightest talents on the traditional folk scene’–Samira Ahmed,
BBC Radio 4
“Already established as one of folk music’s leading lights, Siobhan has opened the door to widespread acclaim.” – Scottish Sun
“Miller’s vocals are bright and unforced.”-The Observer
“One of my favourite folk singers in these islands – what a voice!” – Frank Hennessy, BBC Wales
“Siobhan has a crystal clear voice and an incredible vocal range – each song delivered with great aplomb and note perfect” – Celtic Music Radio
‘Pure, poised singing – one of the finest young voices on the Scottish folk scene’- The Scotsman
A stand-out track is undoubtedly the spirited take on the anthemic I’m a Rover which immediately transports Siobhan back to her student days when she would sing in sessions around Glasgow and Edinburgh.
See video of album track I’m a Rover
Moving into more sombre story territory Siobhan delivers popular Scottish ballad The Swan Swims which tells of two sisters, with one murdering the other and is followed by The Battle of Waterloo, written by Jim Malcolm.
Poignant and eloquent it tells the story of a Kirriemuir man who is dying on the battlefield of Waterloo – and a father warning his daughter she could end up a widow should she wed a soldier.
Then the album steers firmly into ‘let your hair down’ party mode with the jazzy, all hands on deck rendering of Rab Noakes’ Open All Night – underlined by some great piano work by Tom Gibbs. Says Siobhan: “I love the feeling this song has of being on tour and heading out into the city after the show looking for fun.”
That ‘out on the town’ feeling continues in Ayrshire-born David Francey’s Saturday Night. Siobhan’s search for feel-good songs led her to this carefree number, a perfect antidote to recent isolated times.
The album ends with a gentle, understated take on the anthemic Wild Mountain Thyme – the only song on the album to have Irish heritage, though whether it is a Scottish or Irish song is often a subject for debate. It is thought to have been written by Belfast’s Francis McPeake for his wife but also owes lineage to Robert Tanahill’s “The Braes o’Balquhidder”. Mournful fiddle melds with Miller’s wistful vocals –a sublime and fitting finale to the album.
Siobhan’s fifth studio album proves to be both joyous and cathartic. A prize bloom indeed.
Bloom is released on September 16 on the Songprint Recordings label and distributed by Proper Music.
