Lee Mitchell- Whisky
As soon as 'Caught In The Fires' kicked in on Lee Mitchell's "Whisky" EP, my initial reaction was: 'well, this guy is going to benefit from the Mumford wave if he picks his surfboard up quick enough'. It was the instant hit of folky warmth and celtic-tinged vocals (he's allowed the lilt- he's a Northern Irish lad) accompanying the guitar built melodies that did it; but it also instantly brought to mind the similarly lovely noise created by the likes of The Swell Season and Admiral Fallow. Joining the rustic sunshine ranks can't be bad, can it? No, not at all. But I was actually quite pleased to hear Mr Mitchell's music do a little more than copycat.
There is a palpable level of bite to the Lee Mitchell sound. His voice, although velvety smooth has a definite underpinning of emotive clout we've seen carefully honed by your Gary Lightbody types in recent years. That gruffer edge that rears its head every now and again in 'Harris' and 'Waging War' protects 'Whisky' from being your average folk infused time-filler. It's a thoroughly gratifying and engaging sound being built on creatively diverse layering of guitar with instrumental touches of stings and piano to keep the tone positive and light.
At just five tracks in length, this triumphant stroll through a rich and fulfilling musical experience bears the contentment you get from feeling the sun on your back. It's a very exciting indication of what we might be able to expect from a live show from Lee Mitchell- I am genuinely looking forward to getting my mitts on the follow up EP "Water", later this year. When you feel like expanding your "Sigh No More" horizons you should definitely give this a try.