Loonymusik 

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In this age of fake news, a generation of young singer-songwriters has emerged determined to share searing, unvarnished truths, breathtakingly honest revelations with an authenticity sadly lacking in so much of today’s mainstream music. Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter take the term ‘roots music’ to task in more ways than one on her adventurous, gorgeously rendered third album. A masterclass in storytelling-based songwriting, we get to hear not only her instrumental and songwriting prowess, but her marvellously versatile voice, which can convey pain or playfulness or pure bad girl power. Through this rigorously independent approach, Sara and her band have journeyed into new terrain and emerged with some of their most immediate and important music to date. It doesn't hurt that Sara is a skilled fiddler. Her playing swings, slides, and soars over these varied tracks. She leaves a few edges a little ragged, which only adds to the soulfulness of this session. A free-wheeling jaunt through a mixture of country, Appalachia, bluegrass, honky-tonk, rollicking swing tunes, sensitive singer-songwriter balladry and even experimental prog-rock, all blended with sharply told story songs. There’s a nice even mix between original material penned by Sara and a trio of cover songs. The songs deal with the struggles of rural lives littered with resilience, identity, failures, persistence and philosophies of life. They aren’t so much gloomy as they are hopeful and show off why Sara Milonovich is cover-worthy.  

Various musicians contributed to the making of the album. In addition to her band members (Boo Reiners, Leo Traversa, Jeremy Baum and Justin Guip) and producer Greg Anderson (guitars, banjo, keyboards), you’ll hear special guests Lloyd Maines, Viktor Krauss, Leigh Gibson, Abbie Gardner, Cody Kilby, Rob Ickes, Larry Gampbell, Nicolas Boulerice and Leigh Gibson. It was recorded at three different studios, but the common thread is Sara’s unique talent on every song. She is a true original in her songwriting, fiddle and acoustic guitar playing and vocals. The results are anything but repetitive.

It’s always important that the opening track of an album draws the listener in and the lithe and lively delivery of What We Did With The Place ensures the enticement remains infectious. Homing in on gentrification, it offers a distinct lesson about how we react to things in our lives. As good as this song is lyrically, it has a lot going for it melodically speaking. The musicianship and the harmony between the band members are sublime as a result. It’s required that listeners lean in to pick up on all the nuances the group employs. Storytelling is one of the calling cards of this talented singer-songwriter. The title track is a solid yarn detailing the struggle of how to make it through each day. Tale Of Two Cities takes us into bluegrass territory with Sara’s dynamic fiddle, Cody Kilby’s driving mandolin, Rob Ickes’ Dobro and Leigh Gibson’s acoustic guitar underpinned by Viktor Krauss’ sold acoustic bass all topped off with an outstanding vocal presence. The jogging pace sustained through Analogue, Anodyne, or the classic country vibe shared through Planting And Harvest, make any attempt at sticking with preconceived parameters seem moot and meaningless.   

As previously mentioned, there are several covers sprinkled throughout . While some may be familiar to listeners, they aren’t songs that are terribly overdone. On top of that, Sara brings her own fresh and creative approach to each one. This is most notable in her surprising rendition of King Crimson’s Starless. Haunting fiddle and pedal steel set the mood as the song really does venture into brightly shining (if blurry) examples of psychedelia, replete with a wobbly hallucinatory vibe. Then around seven and a half minutes in, the tune takes off, incorporating plenty of instrumental weirdness with your standard country instrumentation of banjo, pedal steel, hurdy gurdy and flying fiddles into a sun-damaged jangle, and head-trip musical experience. The other two covers, Camille (Gretchen Peters, Matraca Berg & Suzy Bogguss) and Me + Mine (Lamentations) (BJ Barham) couldn’t be more different. The former being immersed in old world heartbreak and desperation, while the latter echoes a traditional tapestry borne from Appalachian origins. The two worlds couldn’t be further apart … or can they? Camille is a haunting, poignant folk song with a heartfelt vocal and emotive arrangement that immediately pulls you into Camille’s desolate world. Me + Mine is a classic modern-day working-class song concerned with factory and coal mine closures. Sara takes it way back in time too, with her fiddle and Bruce Molsky’s fretless nylon string banjo and harmony vocal deepening the song with a true sense of mourning for what has been lost in the march of progress. Ultimately, Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter occupy a unique niche of their own. In this day and time, that is a mighty good calling card.

https://saramilonovich.com

October 2026