Record Review: W.D. Miller — 'Burnt Bridges? & Broken Hearts'

Jul 3, 2018 at 11:43 am

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With the sort of throwback honky-tonk that recalls classic giants, W.D. Miller mixes twangy guitars, a smokey baritone and a heavy-handed rhythm section on Burnt Bridges & Broken Hearts. Half empty bottles, old flames, lost time and shaky decisions circle around the record. “Rot Gut Lies” is a clever story song about how the narrator is going to pay for a reckless night on the town, “El Camino” plays like a breezy, but melancholy Chris Stapleton track, while “Life’s Blood” has a Tom Waits-ian dark march to it. There’s definite nods to the genre’s past, but it also effectively wanders into its own territory. —Scott Recker