Single Review: Rainy Miller - Yellowman

Preston-based artist Rainy Miller delivers an innovative and touching record with ‘Yellowman’, showcasing well blended harmonies, experimental production and introspective lyricism, adding to the artist’s catalogue of unique soundscapes.

‘Yellowman’ shares the same name as the Pete Brasset book, ‘Yellow Man’, a deeply moving story about a father’s fatal battle with cancer, and his son coming to terms with the eventual loss. Rainy has also dealt with the absence of his father, but describes feeling a “sense of loss” after reuniting later on in life - an understandably hard hitting detail about how seeing him in the flesh made him grieve the years of absence.

In Rainy’s first release since 2019, we are taken on a psychedelic journey of blurred memories. Painted in a hue of hazy thought, Miller demonstrates melodic sensibility, with the opening lyrics “how long was I treading on the memories” - beautifully joined by his echoes, an impactful introduction to the self-reflective tendencies of Rainy Miller’s writing.

However, you don’t have to listen to the lyrics to feel the alluring potency of this track. The use of synths and piano creates a euphoric wave of dreamy distortion, accompanied later on by the subtle use of percussion emulating the sound of a heartbeat. The mood he conjures with these elements steers this track into a transcendent and lucid void, maybe a purposeful reflection of how one feels coping with loss.

As a listener, the complexity and versatility of Rainy Miller’s creativity gives us only a glimpse into the complexity of the emotion that bleeds into this single. The track does not conform to a traditional song structure, crafted in a way that leaves the record somewhat adrift, and the listener lost in Rainy Miller’s tranquil and heady vocals.

At the epicentre of this creation is ultimately grief, and understanding the context of ‘Yellowman’ helps the listener comprehend the underlying themes of this record. By not limiting himself creatively, Rainy Miller continues to prove his worth as a multi-disciplinary artist, pairing the release of his single with self-directed visuals (performed by Amber Calland) that give his fans a further glimpse into the confusing nature of grief. We are excited to see what is next from the creative mind of Rainy Miller.

Words: Harry Roberts