“Teach Old Dogs New Tricks” is the name of the fourth track of Milly’s new EP, but it could easily double as a musical statement of purpose from this band, which has taken some well-worn sounds of mid-’90s indie rock and made them sound thrillingly, unexpectedly alive again. Borrowing from the thick, heavily distorted vibe of grungy American shoegaze like Catherine, and wedding it to slowcore rhythms of the time (think Rex, Codeine, or the more dreamy of the Chicago post-rock acts), the group fuses these styles with a distinctively modern ennui, thanks to the lovely, searching lyrics from singer Brendan Dyer, whose understated drawl makes for a perfect accompaniment to the catch-and-release musical tension. “You eyes, like your smile / It’s fucking with my life,” he sings on “Denial,” a great blend of rolling, Buffalo Tom-like jangle and spare, strummy intensity. Each of the songs fits like a puzzle piece with the others, creating a coherent whole that nonetheless erupts into singular moments of expansive, blissful beauty.
Official video for “Star Thistle Blossom,” from Milly’s new EP ‘Wish Goes On’ coming April 9, 2021.
The Fat Angel Sings 