North Carolina is an apt title for Mike Mitchell’s new CD because its ten songs subtly reflect the quiet dignity of that Southern state. Much of this music resembles Neil Young’s more country moments, as there’s an abundance of pedal steel and fiddle, which gives everything a traditional country base of support. Mitchell stays on key a whole lot better than Young, however. (But then again, doesn’t everybody?) But it’s the vulnerability in Mitchell’s vocal style that reminds one most of Mr. Young.

Ironically, the liner notes to North Carolina advise listeners to play it loud. That’s a ‘Turn it up, dude!’ admonition more often associated with loud rock & roll, where cranked up electric guitars are more prominently in play. Yet Mitchell is such an unobtrusive sort of vocalist, and turning up the volume on his voice would be akin to listening to a whisper at full volume. That’s a strange proposition, indeed.

 “Pretty in the Sun” is the track that stands out most from this overall solid collection. On it, the gentle Mitchell lusts over a woman who looks particularly hot in daylight. “She turns me on,” he sings bluntly. The song’s arrangement breaks from this release’s otherwise traditional country vibe, and displays something much more Eastern European in nature. The sound of it makes you imagine that Mitchell is chasing after some mysterious gypsy woman. And you fear for Mitchell because this is more than likely the sort of “lady” that will ultimately break his heart. She’s probably the feminine equivalent to an oasis in the desert – there one moment, gone the next. But maybe I’m reading too much into this track.

The last song, “Book of Broken Hearts”, describes a girl with different carry-on baggage altogether: She is a woman with a full portfolio of broken hearts. Yet much like the gypsy gal described in “Pretty in the Sun”, Mitchell is equally smitten by this femme. “She makes me weak in the knees,” he admits. In fact, Mitchell – if these songs are truly an indication of his unpredictable love life – has a whole lot of girl trouble. Song titles like “You Don’t Have Room for Me” and “Don’t Give up on me” each describe a man that wants to either hold a relationship together or reignite a quickly cooling one. You don’t, however, get the impression Mitchell is in any kind of control of his relationships.

It’s also worth noting that the track order in places is pure genius. For instance, “Will to Love Again” comes directly after “After the Damage is done”. This one-two song punch paints the picture of someone dusting himself off and starting all over again. Humans are resilient, after all, if nothing else. We can have our hearts shattered in over a million places, yet before long we’re out there scouring the ground, picking up the shreds and putting ourselves together again. We’re a lot like independent Humpty Dumpties, when it comes to reentering the love game.  

Mike Mitchell’s North Carolina is a slice of the South’s slower paced lifestyle. But just because life isn’t going at a breakneck pace, doesn’t mean people aren’t still getting hurt. It’s all about losing with dignity, so this music you can listen to and have a quiet cry.

Reviewed By Dan MacIntosh

Dan MacIntosh, Reviews Mike Mitchell, North Carolina