As a solo artist, Lindsey Mills has been pretty on top of things. With countless recordings available, she is certainly no slouch. On Stonefruit, she teams up with Handmade, Amigo. The collaboration works. This is a great record. A little: bit folksy, a little bit indie, and some really catchy pop. It’s tied together by a great voice. There is a lot to like. I had to go back and listen to some of her earlier thing for context. This is my first experience with her music. Most of it is just acoustic guitar and vocals. And, for the most part, it’s all quite good. Stonefruit is different in that it is a full band recording, and there is quite a bit going on.
Lindsey Mills is great as a songwriter and singer. Since she has been recording a lot as a solo artist, she is able to project a lot through her voice. It shines through as rich and in control. She sounds great singing low and calm, but can also belt out without missing a beat. Her songwriting is also great. She can write strong, personal song like “Hot Spot” or “Mango.” She is also able to write humorous parts to. Like how “Georgia” plays as a love song, but is clearly about a cat. Lyrically she can paint a picture.
Handmade, Amigo bring a lot to the record. As a full time band on their own, they obviously work well together. They feature guys who play multiple instruments. It adds a lot to the overall feel and landscape of the songs. There are glockenspiel, accordions, saxophone, and harmonica spread throughout the record. They also come in with some great harmonies. It really make the record sound big. Their addition really helps build Stonefruit as a folksy, Americana sounding record. There does remain edge though, and that is a great thing.
Team Reasonable 