Billy Mitchell’s new CD Detour has the ideal vibe for a sing-a-long at your favorite coffeehouse listening room. Mitchell sings and plays out his witty observations with a personable approach that makes you feel like you’re listening to him in your living room during a fun family reunion.
Mitchell opens the disc with a hilarious attack on the press and other experts in his plain folksie “Says Who?” He sings with a straight forward delivery, no fancy vocal work, just his low tenor-high baritone nailing these hard hitting words. Mitchell is indebted to drummer and bass player for they keep this one bumping along at a merry pace.
“Rollback” is another sing song paced song. This time it’s about a sales associate at a Wal-Mart department store. Mitchell satirizes the kind of desperate people who end up working at these stores. It is witty and observant and there is a lot of entertainment in the folksie way Mitchell delivers it.
Mitchell gets more into his sophisticated songwriting style on “The Road,” a story about destination and how one gets there. His vocal is more self-restrained and he nuances those vocal notes with greater warmth and compassion. He has a range within his low tenor framework in how he finesses his tone. The low end notes and instrumentation Mitchell employs on his songs give them a lot of depth, anchoring them in the listener’s consciousness with purpose as they give his songs stride. A swirl of organ chords also gives character to “The Road,” which rides out in a glorious wave of sound.
“Prescription Drugs” is Mitchell’s most pointed protest song on this disc. The cost and availability of those pills and the numerous pills available for every possible ill are his targets. Mitchell’s straight-forward delivery is the only way this song could work. The smooth vocal and the bouncy harp keep this one in the lively column, even though his subject matter is deadly serious. Mitchell balances the tone and subject well, and it’s what makes this song work.
Mitchell gets more layered on “The Diva Of The Silver Top Dine,” a song that will likely remind everyone of a waitress they know. Mitchell has a lot going on in this one. Electric guitar, organ, a rhythm section and female backing vocalists Coleen, Christine, and Kerri Scott weave an edgy tale of a hard working gal who longs for a better life. It’s the perkiness in between the notes that make this one fun. You can feel Mitchell’s warmth for his subject matter even when he is being somewhat satirical.
Speaking of satire, “I Know A Guy” will tickle the funny bone of anybody who follows statehouse politics in New England. Although “I Know A Guy” takes place in Rhode Island, everyone knows of someone who always says “I know a guy” who can fix things for us. The meaningful guitar strumming here raises this above the level of comedy into serious satire. Mitchell has got to be the most fun guy in the room when he goes to the open mikes in Rhode Island. His examples and images of low level corruption and deal making are hilarious and believable and he sings it totally straightforward.
Mitchell’s guitar work gets more serious on “Waiting On Oblivion.” The gently picked delicate notes informs of the song’s tenderness while Mitchell’s easy going vocal completes the deal. You’re with him at this point as you follow his survivalist guide for surviving the end times. You can feel Mitchell’s love for mother earth behind his satirical observations of things that could possibly destroy her.
“The Square” is about Mitchell’s time spent in Bastille Square in Paris, France. He gives the scene a lovely evening glow and he makes you feel you are actually there. An accordion waltz and an exotic percussion beat flavor the piece well and might make you want to update your passport and go check out the historical site.
Mitchell, a world traveler, pays tribute to the Greek islands and ancient Greece’s awesome philosopher in “Cylades Surprise.” The breezy guitar and the delicate touches on wooden percussion instruments fulfill the feeling of gentle motion and Mitchell artfully conjures up the imagery of his visit. “Meet Me” brings the listener back to Rhode Island of the 1920s, and Mitchell accomplishes this with many examples of what was available to people of the time.
“The Key” is about Mitchell’s childhood newspaper delivery route and all that his young eyes took in. A slow, gentle banjo helps the listener experience the warm regard Mitchell has for childhood discoveries and rewards.
“Week 41” is about an experience Mitchell had in the Gulf Of Mexico. His ability to narrate an amusing story with song and guitar remains intact no matter how far-fetched it becomes. He unfolds his sense of humor at a personal pace, telling his tale one mouthful of verse at a time, giving you plenty of humorous detail to keep you hooked.
Mitchell has a down to earth attitude and acceptance of all the strange things that come our way in life. He renders them with fine detail, great warmth, and plenty of talent in his acoustic instrumentation. He brought some friends into the studio to help him flesh out his wry observations. Ken Sheehan, Andy Webb, Laura Furlong, Joe Zajak, Eddie Dillon, Tom Kennedy, and Dick Lewis all contributed some juicy good parts to Mitchell’s recording. It only makes sense that he has a lot of friends who would want to help him out. Mitchell has got to be the most fun guy in the Rhode Island songwriting community.
Hi Bill,
Thanks for your kind words about the CD. Really appreciate it! Am honored you felt so postively about it.
Cheers,
Billy Mitchell