MILE TWELVE

MILE TWELVE
CITY ON A HILL

Delores The Taurus Records
DTT0045

This project, the band’s second, includes ten tracks; all but two are originals. The covers are a Richard Thompson number, which opens the CD, and the other is “Where We Started,” written by John Cloyd Miller from the duo Zoe & Cloyd. Bryan Sutton served as producer.

Mile Twelve is a Boston-based band. The group’s lineup remains unchanged: Evan Murphy on guitar, Nate Sabat on bass, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes on fiddle, David Benedict on mandolin, and BB Bowness on banjo, a native New Zealander. The band’s publicity material summarizes the CD nicely: “City On A Hill opens with ‘Down Where The Drunkards Roll,’ a galloping version of the Richard and Linda Thompson-penned tune. Onward, the songwriting prowess of Mile Twelve shows up in a number of songs and laments seen through the eyes of a wide cast of characters. ‘Jericho’ follows a modern war veteran’s struggle post-trauma. In ‘Liberty,’ a Jewish immigrant tells their child the story of fleeing war to the United States of America. ‘Innocent Again’ is a rollicking study of the stigma attached to one’s time spent in the penal system. The waltzing ‘Barefoot In Jail’ and the dream sequence of ‘Journey’s End’ roll right into the album closer, John Cloyd Miller’s portrait of small-town life, ‘Where We Started.’”

Mike Drudge, with Rainmaker Management, reports “City That Drowned” and “Jericho” have proven to be two of their most requested songs, showcasing their unique ability to address real-world issues without politicizing them. They also can shift into ultra high gear with ease on a song like “Innocent Again.”

Producer Sutton writes a fitting closing: “I’m a fan of bands who strive for a balance of being musically unique and individualized, while at the same time working to include time-honored traditions found in this music…This blend is not an easy thing to accomplish. Mile Twelve does this with well-honed and refreshingly honest songwriting, along with powerful playing, singing, and performing.” (www.miletwelvebluegrass.com)BW