Bosque Brown

Mara Lee Miller plays under the nom de tune Bosque Brown. Despite the moniker, Bosque Brown’s woeful and wispy folk music is true to the experiences of Mara Lee Miller. The Lone Star State songwriter has said, "There is something about being from Texas”; perhaps it’s the emotional honesty. Bosque Brown’s style, however, is not the kind of Texan self-celebration that makes others squirm. To the contrary, Miller is shy and subtle. The potent emotion of "Still Afraid,” for example, is seasoned with tenderness that is beautifully heartfelt and instantly disarming. Miller’s lyrics follow patterns of memory recollection, where spilt clauses weave disjointed images and stories are more sewn than they are told. Miller’s voice echoes the swoons, smoky hues, and sharp chirps of her contemporaries; she’s captured what Jolie Holland, Jana Hunter, and Joanna Newsom all share, but what she’s got is hers, and she does it well. Bosque Brown’s music finds itself amidst a folk revival. Her music could be grouped with the avant-folk of Devendra Banhart and company, but it’s equally comparable to the traditional sound of the Be Good Tanyas. In any case, Bosque Brown delivers goods too precious to categorize. This album is a promising first offering in what will likely be a lengthy career.