Album review: ‘Hometown Believer’ by JJ Miller

Edmonton-based songwriter, JJ Miller, recently released his debut EP, Hometown Believer. The album guides listeners through the small town in Alberta where he grew up. Throughout Hometown Believer, Miller resists the religious faith he grew up with. Song after song he attempts to separate the beliefs of the church and who he is now. While the songs’ stories were captivating, the musicality however, did not follow through with this complexity.  

“Broken Bells” is about Miller’s experience in church. He sings about lit torches and candles being reflective of how he did not belong there. The lit torches are a reminder of the witch hunts which took place to extinguish anything that seemed ungodly in a historical period where religion was prevalent. The lyrics insinuate that through the reference to broken bells, with Miller saying “the music is hard to sell.” This shows that religion is hard to sell because it uses the same methods that have proven to be broken. 

“Grey Weather Town” is a bit figurative: “I won’t fight the waves that break on that shore / I won’t fight them anymore.” The “grey weather,” could be what makes the waves tug at the shores of Miller’s heart. It is obvious that the waves also symbolize his doubts about his childhood religion. He has been double-minded for some time. In “Grey Weather Town” it seems now he is ready to give into his doubts that his religion is the absolute truth. 

“Back from Irian Jaya,” has lyrics that were complex to understand because they held symbolic meaning. My favourite lines were, “When there were words he couldn’t say / He lit a fire in the page.” This could be hinting to a preacher that has power over a church gathering, and uses the words from the Bible to keep control of the church. 

“The Life of Augustine,” was an interesting song that is about devoting years of your life to someone. Miller was in a vulnerable moment in his life and sings about a person called Augustine that comes into his life like a saviour. “You descended like the Holy Ghost / And like Delilah, you possessed me completely.” 

The album’s religious comparisons resonate with the experiences of those who feel there is not a place for them in the church. Miller’s captivating lyrics made for vivid storytelling in the songs. When it comes to the musicality of the album, nothing particularly stood out. The instrumentation fell flat at times, and did not align as closely with the complexity of Miller’s storytelling. There was no exciting climax in sound to match the compelling lyrics. This unfortunately lessened the effect of the lyrics.