Depending on where you look, Nan Macmillan's music is described as folk, americana, indie pop and more. And those are the official outlets, so it seems she has some trouble shoehorning her style into a single sound. I don't have to check boxes, so thankfully I won't try.

Nan Macmillan From Both Eyes (self-released)

Musically, she veers around the concepts listed above, throwing in chamber pop and other more ethereal ideas as well. A somewhat simplistic comparison would be Kate Bush without the vocal histrionics, but that's just as amorphous. And perhaps that's just right. Macmillian is much more interested in setting a scene and singing a song than worrying about what influences are flowing through her at a particular moment.

There is a frequent echo in the sound (I suppose that triggers the Bush reference for me), just enough mush to blend the instruments within the mix. That also lends a bit of a 70s feel, especially when the keyboards veer into an electric piano sound. Macmillan's range spans decades of sounds, and she doesn't mind mixing them up, either. The feel is both of a moment and timeless.

Her lyrics have a sly bite, but the music sets a mellow scene. That lulling mood is perfect for the occasional ambush. Macmillan's music may be hard to define, but that's where the allure lies. A most sophisticated and ambitious set.

Jon Worley