I had seen Erik Mitchell perform twice prior to hearing this cd. Both times I saw him, were at intimate unplugged settings. He played his acoustic guitar well, was an excellent storyteller and possessed a very fine voice. What was most notable about him was that he had a certain modern edge to his music that was not as steeped in traditional folk or 60's folk rock than some of the other singer-songwriters I have booked. It was not until I listened carefully to this album however, that I realized that this guy is a really wonderful vocalist who possesses a great deal of soul and could be just at home fronting a rhythm and blues band as playing acoustic folk songs. Those unplugged events only showed one side of his talent. He can stretch his vocal chops out more when in a studio and I suspect when he performs live with his band as well. Blue eyed soul is alive and well in Philadelphia in the form of Erik Mitchell. The favorite songs are:
1) Easy To Love You--is easily the catchiest song on the cd and a classic sounding soulful love song song that could have been recorded by Marvin Gaye if he was still around. But Mitchell does just fine with his own voice. I'm surprised I have not heard this one on the radio. It's a song you will be humming all week once you hear it.
2) Twenty One Blackbirds-Well I just got through writing how he isn't really steeped in the folk tradition, but there are at least two or three really folky songs. This is a gem. With a little finger picking riff and somewhat inscrutable but ominous lyrics it is another song I can not get out of my head days after I last heard it.
3) I Spent A Thought On You Tonight-This is a beautiful tune both lyrically and musically. His most complex rythmically, melodically and poetically. Very sensual, it is the quintessential Mitchell love ballad. The musicianship, excellent throughout, is especially inventive here.
4) True As The Music- A great song to lead off the cd, with the sly opening line "If you carry a worried mind/And you are just about as blue as a babboon's behind..." (Never mind babboons normally have very red behinds--songwriters are poets and therefore have license). This is a really funky fun tune.
5) River Run- This song is already being covered by the Anna Crusis Women's Choir. It is the kind of song that lends itself to many interpretations and genres. As a pure song, it may be the most enduring on the album.
6) Out In The Rain- Mitchell's exuberant vocal performance is a real treat.
Every song on this cd is enjoyable, if only for the outstanding vocalist Mitchell is as well as his outstanding backing band. The production here is top notch. Every arrangement is perfect and there are some stellar lead guitar, bass and drums throughout. Nice keyboards and strings too. As I have seen twice before, Erik Mitchell is a very strong solo performer and can hold an audience rapt with just his acoustic guitar, voice, songs and stories. But with these support players he is taking his music to another level. Kudos should go to the co-producer on this project Dave Schonauer, as well as Mitchell himself who is listed as the other co-producer. For more information on this artist, go to mitchellmusic.com