aaamusic | On 17, Jun 2012

London, 12th June

Anais Mitchell is a Vermont, USA singer songwriter. She’s daughter to an inspiring novelist and was encouraged to have an interest in music by her early worldwide travels. Her intelligent style is compared with Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch and Leonard Cohen.
Her last album, Hadestown, was stunning, ambitious and an epic folk, jazz and blues opera which was difficult to follow. It received huge critical acclaim as an awe inspiring work which was both powerful and breath-taking.
Young Man in America, her fourth album, was produced by Todd Sickafoose at Earycanal in New York and California. It was released on February 28, 2012 by Wilderland Records / Thirty Tigers.
Album artists include Adam Levy (guitar), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Andrew Borger (drums), Kenny Wollesen (drums), Chris Thile (mandolin), Jefferson Hamer (vocals), Rachel Ries (vocals) and Michael Chorney (guitar).
Her Young Man in America is a hero. He’s “a restless character on a feverish hunt for pleasure and success. Alcohol, fame, money, sex—nothing satisfies him,” says Anais Mitchell. “He’s desirous and very sad.” The song was inspired by the every-man-for-himself attitude in America that she observed during the recent recession. The extraordinary and impressive Wilderland has menacing drum beats, crackles of distortion and a stream of consciousness in its vocal harmonies. Ships, with its intimate crescendo of regal horns and drums, has a texture and arrangement which is exquisite.
Anais Mitchell’s music is earthy, simplistic and wildly inventive. Innocent, liberated hippy charm is combined with a startling urban maturity that restlessly sparkles and dazzles. You’re captivated by something remarkably free, fearless and incredibly emotional. Daring stories follow tragic, difficult and unsettling American themes. Lost people and social neglect scatter a crumbling landscape. Her characters are poets, lovers, tailors and shepherds. We hear their intimate tales of sadness, grief, love and lust and the characters become credible and believable.
Anais Mitchell fiercely bubbles with political and personal ideas. She’s hugely energetic and hauntingly beautiful. “You either get the music or you don’t” I heard a music industry guy say. I pretended not to sweep away a tear and remembered taking one of Joni Mitchell’s musical journeys across America.

Anthony Weightman