"Peace of Mind" is Carson Miller's Subconscious Missed Connection

Photo courtesy of the artist

Philly-based singer/songwriter Carson Miller released his latest single, “Peace of Mind” at the end of October, and it’s a pretty spot-on listen to pair with the unsettling and unparalleled time we’re living in. This is his first release since his EP, Tantrum, a collection of amplified acoustic tracks. “Peace of Mind” is a change of pace. Opening with thin isolated, percussion and a granular synthetic riff, the track is purposefully liminal from the start. The lyrics detail the uncomfortable feeling of existing between the spaces of a relationship. “Show me where the ‘yes’ turned into a ‘maybe’” is such a gutting line paired with the monotonous, echoing vocals. The entirety of the song drips with uncertainty in this really appealing way. It’s almost like this gray area is exactly where Miller wants to be, even though he says he doesn’t.

"Peace of Mind” kind of has the weirdness of an alt-J track and the sincerity of Miller’s previous songwriter releases. It listens like a dream state, and the internal, subconscious struggle of not knowing where you stand with someone versus someone knowing exactly where they stand with you comes across really clearly. The intentional change of pace - and the success of it - is how Miller can likely carve out his niche among other solo acoustic artists. The ease that he transitions between styles, the duality of his vocal skills, and the eerie lyrical content make for a sound that I haven’t specifically heard recently.

You can listen to “Peace of Mind” below or anywhere else you find music.