Jenks Miller/James Toth – Roads To Ruin

Another fond discovery this morning is this short split record from Jenks Miller and James Toth out on Three Lobed Records. It opens with a short piece of Americana that sounds a little like a Loren Connors jam at a first glimpse. Have Mercy follows with a droning lo-fi sounding organ before electric guitars, percussion and voice add for a swirling wall of 60s influenced sound. Miller closes with his longest and strongest piece – the beautiful Hats Off To Roy (Montgomery) builds at a steady pace with both smooth and gritty electric guitars.

James Toth then takes over, opening with The Sun Shines Brightly On The Road To Ruin, a mid length piece for droning accordion? mellotron?, guitar and voice. Toth’s next two pieces are really excellent and highlights of this record in my book – Quickland Rose and Remember Me To Stone are certainly more songlike than anything that went before but after the hazier period of electro-acoustic arrangements this is a welcome change.

Click play above to check it out or HERE