After Shaela Miller’s recent years working on her sound and sharp on the heels of placements in TV, like on HBO’s True Blood, she takes the time to explore more of her sound, bringing in modern synths and the like on her latest work, “After The Masquerade”. Keep reading for my thoughts!
The whole album has this charisma that assaults you right from the very beginning. On the opening track, “Start A Fire”, she brings in the charm of the old-world synth and uses it to great effect to create atmosphere and a vibe that is hard to come by. A departure from her conventionally more country-laden music of the past, “Start A Fire” sets the stage (or rather, starts the fire?) for the tracks to come.
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The next track, “Of Roses”, takes us into themes of more experimentation using the synths, coupled with a more downtempo, rawer and more aggressive sound overall. Her voice seems especially well-suited to this song, with the slower pace of the intro resolving into a more uptempo chorus section, and Shaela’s voice keeps perfect cadence throughout.
As we journey towards other tracks on “After The Masquerade”, we come across the title track— the experimentation and the pushing boundaries with the synths continues, with the vocal layering going on making this song a great listen from the very start. There is much to appreciate about the freshness of the track, and it is something I loved listening to during my time with this album.
The production is done nicely, preserving the central theme of synth-based production and influences well and alive as each track is a form of experimentation into the kinds of things that one could do with the synths, by itself. The mix and master, too, do not disappoint, creating a nice balance between the feel-good warmth of analogue and the faithful precision that digital music has come to be known for. Overall, all the tracks are groovy and engaging to listen to, and as Shaela continues on her journey, we look forward to what she can bring to the table next.
In conclusion, “After The Masquerade”, by Shaela Miller is the kind of example album I use when I speak of good production, dynamics and overall great songwriting. Check out the album here!
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