Inspired by Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow and Tom Petty, Mikaela Davis has described her new album ‘Graceland Way’ as ‘Canyon Country’ with its widescreen, shimmering Californian sound. Another key influence on the album are bands like Cocteau Twins, The Sundays and Mazzy Star with Mikaela introducing the term ‘bootgaze’ to me, which is a mash up of country and shoegaze. If you’re not sold on that description alone then one listen to this album and you will find yourself falling in love with these songs.
The opening track on the album is ‘(Looking Through) Rose Colored Glasses’ a gorgeous duet with Madison Cunnighman, with Mikaela describing her as ‘my Emmylou’. The song deals with the way we all sometimes naively believe the stories people tell, hanging on to hope despite evidence to the contrary.
Her equally optimistic and nostalgic heart is also evident on ‘Nothin’s On the Radio’ which tells of her past listening to the radio in the back of her childhood car. Musically the song owes a lot to the 90s era of Sheryl Crow and she perfectly evokes that lost world where radio was queen.
As radio static fades out we are then in the hazy, dreamy 11:11 where she sings of escaping and trying to come to terms with the puzzle of her past. Wild Flower is a slow, sweet summer breeze of a song that, despite its perhaps overdone metaphor, still manages to sound original because of the musical world she’s created.
Mizmoon is a darker turn, written by Cass McCombs, and the stark arrangement allows her signature harp playing to be given the spotlight. The song was inspired by Patricia “Mizmoon” Soltysik, cofounder of the Symbionese Liberation Army who famously kidnapped Patty Hearst. It’s a weird little turn on an otherwise quite bright and breezy album, which just makes it all the more interesting.
Starlite Tonite sounds like a Tom Petty song by an angel, who sings of being wronged and falling behind in a cruel world. Junk Love is another fun song, about falling for the things which taste so good but are bad for you featuring Karly from Wednesday.
One of the highlights of the album is the lovely Spring Petals in the Snow, an uplifting piano ballad which also has a lovely moment of catharsis featuring an accordion.
Final song ‘(That’s Not) Who I Wanna Be’ is a testament to her artistic ambition and tells us what she won’t do to get ahead: burn herself to the ground, isolate herself, trample over others to further her own career. It’s a perfect end to a big-hearted, open and rich record full of friends.
‘Graceland Way’ is confident, cool, cosmic Americana that manages to wear its influences lightly enough to weave together a fresh sound. If this is the start of a new bootgaze era then I’m all in.
BUY: https://mikaeladavis.bandcamp.com/album/graceland-way
Bootgaze Influences Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7AezjhUPARhJAHhOYQH5hC?si=CfRZ1IHaRpm25-UPt3JfgQ&pi=2l07X_-4SZumz
Highway Queens 
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