The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
16
new
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARIANNE FAITHFULL – KISSIN’ TIME (REISSUE)
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: EDNA FRAU – “ON THE LONG RUN”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: GHOST LOVE – “MOURNERS DISCO”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: SUBWAY TO SALLY SETS SAIL WITH SECOND SINGLE “LEINEN LOS” + UNVEILS ANIMATED OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: UNIVERSAL HONEY – “TIME BLINDNESS”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY – “IN YOUR EYES”
SPILL NEWS: ALEXISONFIRE ANNOUNCE TORONTO PERFORMANCE JUNE 16 AT BUDWEISER STAGE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS PUP AND METZ
SPILL NEWS: PUBLIC IMAGE LTD RELEASE VIDEO FOR NEW SONG “HAWAII” | GROUP WILL COMPETE TO REPRESENT IRELAND AT EUROVISION 2023
SPILL FESTIVAL REVIEW: WINTERSONG MUSIC FESTIVAL: MEN WITHOUT HATS & STARS @ SPRING LAKES GOLF CLUB, WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BENJI TRANTER – SONGS TO MAKE YOU HAPPY
SPILL NEW MUSIC: BJÖRK RELEASES “ovule FT. SHYGIRL (SEGA BODEGA REMIX)”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: LEATHERS DROPS NEW SINGLE “HIGHRISE” VIA ARTOFFACT RECORDS
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SIV JAKOBSEN – GARDENING
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JULY TALK – REMEMBER NEVER BEFORE
SPILL NEW MUSIC: L.A. EDWARDS PREMIERES NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR “ALREADY GONE”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: ON – “BREAK YOU”
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • Track Of The Day
    • Track Of The Month
    • Books + Movies
    • About
Album Reviews
253
Editor Pick
previous article
SPILL TRACK OF THE DAY: JEREMY SMITH - "LIKE A DREAM"
next article
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: NOT YOUR PARENTS' CARIBBEAN CRUISE…OR MAYBE IT IS? - CLASSIC ROCK ROYALTY STARS ABOARD THE MOODY BLUES CRUISE IV

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SILLS AND SMITH – MAPS – BURNED OR LOST

Sills And Smith

Sills And Smith
Maps – Burned Or Lost
Independent

Maps – Burned or Lost is the sixth studio album from Sills & Smith. And although they have produced some mighty fine music in the past, they knock it out of the park with this one. Not so much a concept album, but a thematic album, musically and lyrically. Here is an album to sit down, grab a cup of tea, get comfortable, turn off all distractions and just listen to. It is an album that does not demand that you listen, but Maps – Burned or Lost is an album to which you should give your undivided attention.

While earlier albums by Sills & Smith leaned towards a more prog rock sound, this album is almost stripped-bare at times. They have a lot of people helping them out, but producer Phillip Victor Bova (who also provides outstanding bass, keyboards, strings and Hammond organ) has wisely let the songs breathe on their own. He knows when to build up the sound, and he knows when to step back and let Sills & Smith do their own thing.

The playing throughout the album is outstanding. Sills’s acoustic guitar provides the ideal centre point for many of the songs. Add on Smith’s inspired vocals and you have one hell of a strong sound. The songs are melodic, well-written, and what is interesting: every note, every sound, everything, has been planned. Sills & Smith have created a beautifully-arranged album and left nothing to chance. Maps – Burned or Lost is full of interesting sounds and instruments that only add to the songs.

But the important aspect of this album is the songs themselves. You can have the best arrangements in the world, and the best musicians (and for the record there are some outstanding musicians on this album), but if they don’t start with a strong song, it is all for naught. But here, the songs on Maps – Burned or Lost are little stories, emotions and thoughts that all add up to the greater whole. Again, not a concept album, but there are themes. Loss, emotional pain, and questioning the universe are all here. In other words, the album is the human condition.

The sequencing of songs is also outstanding. The album begins with “On the Edge” with lyrics about being on the edge (“Twists and turns, Humpty’s Fall, We can’t align the pieces”) but by the last song, “At The End of The Day,” there is not so much hope but acceptance (“And at the end of the day, Forget all your troubles, Put your things away”).  Throughout the album, the songs build to this conclusion. One song worthy of note, “Wash Away,” is a highlight of the album and one can see how it continues to build on the themes noted before.

Sills & Smith are two very talented individuals who continue to release top notch albums. Maps – Burned or Lost is a brilliant album, and the album they have been working towards for the past few years. Strong melodies, a tinge of prop rock, but in the end, the music and lyrics are distinctly Sills & Smith.



Artist Links

facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 youtube_flat_2016 itunes_flat_2016

close

STAY UP-TO-DATE
WITH OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

* Mandatory Field

Check your inbox or spam folder now (just in case!) to confirm your subscription.

Editor Pick
Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SILLS AND SMITH – MAPS – BURNED OR LOST

Author

Aaron Badgley

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
9.3
9.0
Total Spill Rating
9.3
Total Fan Rating
1 rating
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewsfrank smithjeremy sillsmapsmaps - burned or lostsills and smith
album reviews, frank smith, jeremy sills, maps, maps - burned or lost, sills and smith
About the Author
Aaron Badgley
Born and raised in Whitby, Aaron discovered music through his love of The Beatles. This led to a career in radio, writing for various publications, and ultimately a radio show about The Beatles (Beatles Universe), which ran for over four years. When not immersed in music, Aaron enjoys spending time with the loves of his life -- his wife Andrea, and daughters Emily and Linda (all of whom have an intense love of music too).
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewsfrank smithjeremy sills
 
8.0
Marianne Faithfull

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARIANNE FAITHFULL – KISSIN’ TIME (REISSUE)

by Aaron Badgley on January 27, 2023
Marianne Faithfull Kissin’ Time (Reissue) BMG By 2002 Marianne Faithful was eager to return to a more contemporary sound following albums in which she focused on Kurt Weill. These include Weill recording and performing his opera The Seven [...]
 
8.0
Benji Tranter
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BENJI TRANTER – SONGS TO MAKE YOU HAPPY

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on January 20, 2023
Benji Tranter Songs To Make You Happy Pear O’Legs Records Currently, it seems that bedroom pop as a specific genre started to include so many things, with one constant – excellent melody lines. If you accept such a definition, then [...]
 
8.0
Siv Jakobsen

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SIV JAKOBSEN – GARDENING

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on January 20, 2023
Siv Jakobsen Gardening The Nordic Mellow Norwegian singer songwriter Siv Jakobsen seems to love touring, as she spent most of her career so far on the road. Having that in mind, one would think that she shies away from the studio, or that is the [...]
 
8.0
July Talk

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JULY TALK – REMEMBER NEVER BEFORE

by Gerrod Harris on January 20, 2023
July Talk Remember Never Before Six Shooter Records The polarity between lead vocalists Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis remains the core of July Talk’s appeal. Even with an expanded lineup, this remains true on their fourth album, [...]
 
8.0
Whitehorse
9.3

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: WHITEHORSE – I’M NOT CRYING, YOU’RE CRYING

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on January 13, 2023
Whitehorse I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying Six Shooter Records OK, so with their latest album, I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying, Whitehorse, duo comprising Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet, dispel two debatable things. [...]

Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARIANNE FAITHFULL – KISSIN’ TIME (...
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BENJI TRANTER – SONGS TO MAKE YOU HAPPY
8.0
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SIV JAKOBSEN – GARDENING
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JULY TALK – REMEMBER NEVER BEFORE
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: WHITEHORSE – I’M NOT CRYING, YOU...
8.0
9.3

STAY UP-TO-DATE
WITH OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

* Mandatory Field

Check your inbox or spam folder now (just in case!) to confirm your subscription.

Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Track Of The Month
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2023 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: QUADECA – I DIDN’T MEAN TO HAUNT YOU
2312
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE HUMAN LEAGUE – THE VIRGIN YEARS
1827
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SHRIEKBACK – BOWLAHOOLA
745
 
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: SUEDE AND MANIC STREET PREACHERS @ THE COMMODORE BALLROOM, VANCOUVER
517
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CHEAP TRICK – LIVE AT THE WHISKY 1977
489
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ELVIS PRESLEY – ELVIS ON TOUR
433
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DAVID CROSBY & THE LIGHTHOUSE BAND – LIVE AT THE CAPITAL THEATRE
335
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NAZZ – LOST MASTERS & DEMOS
325
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LITTLE RIVER BAND – ULTIMATE HITS/MASTERPIECES
314
 
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: GRAMERCY ARMS – “YESTERDAY’S GIRL” FT. LLOYD COLE
312
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JOAN ARMATRADING – LIVE AT ASYLUM CHAPEL
303
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL-STARR BAND – LIVE AT THE GREEK THEATRE 2019
253
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JEAN-MICHEL JARRE – THE CONCERTS IN CHINA (40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)
251
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES