As a sometime member of Broken Social Scene and Stars, Amy Millan has never had to step into the limelight completely. In BSS, the vocals of Emily Haines and Leslie Feist often overshadow Millan’s own. And in Stars, she shares center stage with singer Torquil Campbell.
Masters of the Burial, Millan’s second solo effort and follow-up to 2006’s Honey of the Tombs, proves Millan is a good anchor. She evokes a pleasant, welcoming vibe, and her delicate, honey-throated vocals paired with the placement of subtle strings contributes to the album’s intimate feel.
On the opener, “Bruised Ghosts,” Millan coos “Ghosts weren’t meant/For bleedin’,” and she employs some of the literary aspirations of Stars on “Lost Compass” with lyrics like “Your mouth on my mouth/A fire I just can’t put out.”
This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2009.