Blake Miller, Together with Cats

Although many liken his music to the early works of Sam Beam (a.k.a. Iron & Wine) or the eccentricity of Devendra Barnhart, 19-year-old Blake Miller is making impressive waves on his own terms. His recent debut album, Together with Cats, is a curious and insightful selection of home recordings Miller and his many friends produced in his hometown of Columbus. Though some of the songs on the album cleverly and convincingly incorporate sounds from unconventional instruments like keystrokes from a typewriter and the clanking of kitchen utensils, Miller’s tender and unassuming voice and gentle guitar strums take center stage.

While a distinctive folk influence can be detected with songs like “Sinners,” a lo-fi recording of a country-folk-inspired ballad, Miller’s most notable song, “Mama Papa Witch Daddy,” is the most telling example of Miller’s potential to edge his way into the indie-pop/rock arena. Many of the songs on the album have a pure and delightfully indie feel to them. I daresay there’s even an inkling of a possibility that somewhere down the road, Miller could pick up where Elliot Smith (sadly) left off. His overall appearance and sound really radiate a teeny bit of the beloved Smith. (He even kinda looks like him…) Overall, Miller’s first collection of songs really provides a solid and enjoyable introduction to the potential that Miller possesses as a singer/songwriter.