Track of the Day: Blueburst – Vanish (2023)
Proving that hardly anything is out of reach if you’re willing to work at it, Blueburst is a singer-songwriter making a name as a musician at age 50. After his 1990s band The Reach did not pan out, Craig Douglas Miller put aside his guitar for a couple of decades entering a “musical hibernation”. Now, after connecting with legendary guitarist Marty Willson-Piper, Miller has found the inspiration to take on musicianship once again. Building an album’s worth of original songs in his home studio, Miller and Willson-Piper are taking us back to the guitar-based suave of the 80s alternative rock and post-punk scene. Come with us as we delve into Blueburst’s music.
Reflecting on his experiences and a new zest for music, Miller notes that “turning 50 has shocked me out of a mid-life crisis mode and started me in a new ‘grab life by the balls while you still can’ mode. Many of the songs touch on that theme…making a difference while you can.” Along with collaborators Ryan Kelly (bass), Michael Jerome (drums), Brian Platt (drums) and Willson-Piper (guitar), Miller brings sophistication and intelligence to a unique, inimitable sound. Interestingly enough, while Blueburst has maturity and sophistication in the arrangements, a raw innocence slivers through the music.
As I mentioned, Miller and his collaborators take us back to the rock and post-punk sounds of the 80s in ‘Vanish’. He explains that “most of my friends, and a lot of younger people as well, are still listening to the albums we grew up with, I think because there’s a rawness and honesty in that music; that’s what we aspired to here” – and he definitely hit the nail on the head. Bold drums and dynamic guitars meld in a hard-hitting arrangement oozing passion in the retro rock style. Add Miller’s rich vocals and you have a song that can be easily placed alongside Led Zeppelin and R.E.M.
For more from Blueburst, check out his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
