This one is so new they haven’t even finished the cover art for it. I’m told this is the cover photo for (presumably) a debut EP by a 22-year-old artist from my old neck of the woods, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Damon Mitchell has a 6-song EP ready for release on March 2, so I’ve listened to the tracks but they’re still under wraps except for the title track, which is the lead single and video I’ll feature in a short bit below. Perhaps it’s a good thing Elise is the last in line but the first song out of the chute because it’s the best and most accessible tune on the album. (Saving the best for last?) I’m not so sure about the video, though, although we also learn that Mitchell is a southpaw when it comes to playing.
As Damon is a rather young musician, it helps to explain why his style is all over the place on this one. As presented in my preview, the leadoff song Heist is a Beatle-influenced ode to a pop era gone by, although he freshens up the genre and makes it a rather enjoyable song.
Damon slows things down with the ballad Just A Face, which begins to expose a few of the cracks in the facade. Some of the vocals on this one aren’t quite up to snuff, particularly when Damon tries to hit the higher notes. Shaping songs to his voice is something he’ll surely learn as time goes on.
License Plate is more of a country or bluegrass turn, with the addition of fiddle and harmonica. (In the credits there are a total of 12 musicians listed for the six-song EP, so Mitchell had plenty of help.) The problem with this song to me was the way the lyrical runs played out – again, practice and experience will help the cause here.
If you’re waiting on an adult contemporary song, you’ll find the music on the song Salo but the lyrics don’t really evoke romance. Aside from a clever reference to The Weight by The Band, I really didn’t care for the lyrics on Salo at all. They seemed stilted and forced. Maybe this is a song he revisits later on, using the riff to write something better.
Damon turns even more to the jazzy side of things with World In Her Eyes. But again the weakness in the song comes from the lyrics and singing. Completing the circle back to the vibe of Heist but going a couple notches heavier is the title track, which has as its coda some solid guitar work.
So while there are obvious flaws in this six-song EP, they are definitely fixable for the next time, and it’s likely a little bit of experience will help Mitchell work some of these issues out. I don’t mind complex or unconventional lyrics at all, but they need a special amount of talent to be done just right. Once Damon figures out his strengths and writes music in such a way to maximize them, he could do all right for himself. He’s just not quite there yet.
Since he has several shows lined up in the Indiana region (coming as close as Pittsburgh for a gig this spring) I think Damon will get some practice in. On March 2 you’ll see what I mean.