It was that kind of thing where you had to know a friend of a friend of a friend, or you wouldn't have known about it -- we're talking about the "Brave Little Tour," in which the talented Miranda Stone, singer/songwriter from the shores of Lake Ontario, breezed into town to introduce her talents to patrons of Chicago's bookstores and coffeehouses, to no small effect, this last February. Her appearance at The Beat Kitchen's Chick Singer Night created a considerable buzz and attracted the attention of some local promoters, who chased her down at later shows. For a starving artist who makes her living selling photo frames made of cardboard and dried beans and other such curiosities, that was good news.
Her journey into songwriting began at age sixteen, soon after she began to take interest in the guitar. Raised in the classical discipline, learning piano, singing sacred choral works, it was only after her graduation from art school that she admitted to herself that her desire to pursue music had overtaken her dream of being a full time visual artist.
The music is self-described as "pro-God" rather than "Christian," (she names such bands as VoL and OtR as models for her musical journey) holding to her belief that unless her music says something to everyone it doesn't serve much purpose. Her faith is strong, and her lyrics point in the right direction, but her ability to draw in any crowd is admirable. Her live set can consist all at once of a mixture of serious discussion and hilarious joking, disarming audiences everywhere.
Her EP debut, Brave, consists of a lot more than just her and her guitar; she enlisted the help of drums, bass, mandolin, violin, Spanish guitar, cello, and other surprises. The song "Thorn In Your Hand" is a thoughtful, flowing melody, speaking of times when we're left with nothing but questions about life, faith, and relationships ("Why do I feel like a wingless bird when I compromise"), when we're tempted to despair ("the clouds come pressing in like they always have and they always seem to win"), crying out for God's mercy, and pointing to redemption. 'Nevertheless the Dog,' however, eludes the listener lyrically, and moves at a brisker pace, with distinct Spanish influences to it. In short, it is the ability to diversify stylistically that will draw the listener in, but more than anything else, it is her captivating performance that will make you a fan.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinBefore this past Christmas, a friend of mine conscious of his budget asked his newly-wedded wife whether she wanted an ample quantity of little presents this year under the pine tree or only one present of greater quality. She chose the latter, of course, supposing that he meant something small, tasteful and expensive. Her decision was not only motivated by the female sex's nearly universal…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by James StewartMiranda Stone studied book illustration at university and she's obviously carried many of those skills into her music. The songs are beautifully illustrated stories of life, underwritten with music which mixes a folk sensibility with a little punk attitude. 4 tocksThe Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Israel Kloss"Punk-folk" is a good description for Miranda Stone's music. This debut album is definitely a hyper type of folk music. Stone's edgy, yet pleasingly silky, voice commands attention from the first song to the last by jumping to center stage in front of rhythmic guitar licks and mingling with complex, non-traditional percussion. Back this up with the eclectic sounds of the mandolin, violin, Spanish…Similar sounding releases
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