"We have a situation here. Brian Miller of San Francisco indie folk duo the Speakers has just released an intimate offshoot album under the name the Lightning Bug Situation. While the other Speaker, Peter Musselman, contributed some signature banjo and French horn tracks to the record ("A Leaf; A Stream"), it plays more like Miller's private postcards performed out loud with dreamy instrumentation and harmonies. Between and sometimes on top of the 15 songs, Miller's relatives share random thoughts on life. As the title of track 10, "Message to Myself After Franny Was Born," suggests, the album is less a side project and more a documentary for the newest member of the Miller family - but with plenty of catchy melodies. "

-San Francisco Chronicle

"Brian Miller, one half of Californian duo The Speakers, presents an ambitious outing in "A Leaf; A Stream", the product of his solo project The Lightning Bug Situation. Taking the indie-folk blueprints of artists like Will Oldham and Erlend Øye, Miller melds them with the concept album aesthetics of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" or The Beach Boys' "Smile". Staying well clear of Roger Waters-style social commentaries, Miller's compositions deal with subject matter much closer to home -- namely the birth of his young daughter Franny.
A number of track titles ("The New Dad", "Pitter Patter" and "Message to Myself after Franny Was Born") directly portray a man facing up to his new, daunting responsibilities, while trying to calm his own fears. But it is the less obvious tracks where Miller's lyrics shine most. On the gorgeous folkish stroll of "Sir, A Loss", he considers when "… the generals sit around arguing about the body counts / they don't hear a father's cries / When in his arms his daughter dies".
"Iraqi Man and Baby Daughter, 2007" deals with similar sentiments, detailing how even devastating political aspects such as warfare pale into insignificance, when confronted with the loss of your child. Such a theme is superbly delivered, as dramatic violin introduces this track, spliced with looped found sounds. A driving bassline is augmented by Miller's haunting vocals, to create a trippy feel that almost defies the personal nature of the subject matter.
Musically, this album explores a number of styles from atmospheric indie-folk ("Pitter Patter"), via soulful country ("Message To Myself...") to psychedelic tinged rock ("Under Your Jacket"). While the drum loops, spliced spoken word samples and found sounds hint at an adept producer, as well as a musician. Such eclecticism ensures you will want to listen time and time again, reveling in the inventive sound nuances and samples. The range of standard (guitar, bass, piano) and non-standard (clarinet, musical saw, concertina, French horn to name but a few) instruments, meanwhile, adds colour and imagination to these arrangements.
But it is Miller's songwriting skill that leaves the biggest impression. Charmingly introspective and completely honest, this is thoroughly thought-provoking music that even the most stone-hearted of person couldn't fail to be moved by. I challenge you to find a more personal record this year."

-Angry Ape

"A Leaf, A Stream is a beautiful collection of ethereal pop songs influenced by the birth
of his daughter and intensely personal moments and recollections of himself, his family, and his friends. The crescendoing "Iraqi Man and Baby Daughter, 2007? is a highlight of the album, reflecting the reality and personal horror of wars. It features samples of Dave Mihaly's string quartet piece "Influences of the Invisible". Overall, an excellent, ambitious album in its entirety."

-Mesh Magazine

"We here at H.A.D. received ["A Leaf; A Stream"] quite a few weeks back, and at first listen didn't completely know what to make of it. The disc is aggressively intimate, with detailed liner notes, personal testimonials, and a feeling of closeness that is almost disconcerting. There is an absence of hooks that at first listen, to the pop-obsessed, seems perhaps like a weakness. However, the more one listens, the more it becomes apparent that the album is an atmospheric study: it is less a set of songs than it is a single song, or an environment of Miller's emotion."

-Hippies are Dead

"If there is a "typical San Francisco" sound, I don't think this is it. An album about both the birth of his daughter and the Iraq War, it's based around mostly fingerpicked guitar or piano and reverbed vocals. It also has processed drums and audio recordings of family and friends talking about a variety of topics, including domestic abuse and oppressive fathers, sprinkled throughout. It's these sobering recordings that give one the most-immediate sense that this is not your average album of light-hearted indie loves songs.
"Message to Myself After Franny was Born" was the immediate standout track for me. It's a gorgeous piano song with a gorgeous chorus and a really beautiful set of slide guitar parts. "the New Dad" has fingerpicked guitar and supplemental piano building the groundwork for a melancholy vocal and the three together form a really pretty song. The quick sound bite of a baby here and there serves to remind one what the song is about and that it's thoroughly grounded in reality."

-I Pick My Nose