The Daily Spin, January 10
Miel | Tourist Season
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023. It’s Day 10. Double digits!
I do apologize for the delay. I’m currently traveling for work, so I’m busier than normal (and in Pacific time, so I’m living in the past).
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: Tourist Season (2020)
Artist: Miel
Link:
I desperately wish there was more to this album, I really do.
This is exactly the sort of indie pop that I obsess over - and while I still love it in a lot of ways, it doesn’t have that same hold on me save for rare occasions, but Miel strikes pretty special here - even more so considering it’s all self-produced.
The titular track shines with some production straight off a CHVRCHES album, while Shrine gets lovely and emotive. No single song detracts from the record, and the “least favorite” track here is mostly there by virtue of not being on the level of the rest of them (and yet it’s still well above average).
There are two factors to this album not rating higher: the first, a lack of variety. It’s great indie pop, but it’s all pretty similar in composition, and if I’m not looking at the track list odds are I’m gonna have a pretty hard time telling you which song is which in a vacuum. The second is a lack of length - checking it at just 19 minutes, this is the shortest album we’ve reviewed so far, and I really wish it were longer.
Rating: 8.2/10
Best Tracks: Shrine, Tourist Season
Worst Tracks: Early Hours