Album Notes

Miller's 'Seesaw' tips toward the pop side

By Regis Behe
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, June 9, 2006

Jeff Miller is living proof that the real estate adage "location, location, location" can also be applied to music. A couple of years ago the Upper St. Clair native moved to Nashville, the country music capital, in order to further his career.

But in the same way Miller never really fit into any scenes in Pittsburgh, he's also an outsider in Tennessee.

"To be honest, I actually avoid Nashville," says Miller, who returns home this weekend for two shows to unveil his new CD, "Seesaw."

Instead, Miller, a 2001 Berklee College of Music graduate, plays surrounding areas more amenable to his infectious brand of pop music. "Seesaw" continues in the same vein of his first two albums, "Trying to Be Cool" and "Something Different."

While not exactly in tune with what's hip today, his music is timeless. Like other notable purveyors of pop, such as Todd Rundgren, Badfinger or Ben Folds, Miller isn't afraid to embrace and wield melody as a musical weapon.

But instead of doing damage, the songs on "Seesaw" are infectious delights, from the Abbey Road-fueled "Scars" to the sunny-side sound of "Can't Take it With You" and its contrasting lyrical sentiment. Miller even shows a new, heavier side in "The World is Out to Get You," arguably the album's best track.

The songs are lusher than his previous efforts, and Miller thinks that comes from experience and his proximity to a talented pool of musicians.

"Being in this environment has at least allowed me to work with people who have a wide range of experiences," he says, adding that "Seesaw" is his first true professional recording -- his previous efforts were done on his own.

Miller used a producer for the first time while recording "Seesaw," enlisting Matt Mangano, who has worked with John Mayer.

"It turned out to be a 50-50 thing," he says, noting that Mangano also played bass on some of the songs. "We definitely had our differences, and, in some cases I yielded to his point of view. In some cases, there were things that I felt too strongly about to change. ... That in itself brought a new dynamic to the music." ---- *end article


Seesaw is Jeff Miller's third solo album. Check out the highlighted links (to the left) for his first two albums.