Album Review: "Stones" by Tom Mitchell

 

Hey guys!

I think I've said it before but I'll just say it again; within the three years of blogging I've met a lot of talented musicians. Some have only visited house in the sand once, others return for a little chat every now and then.

Those who come back for a second or third visit are definitely special. To me, there's nothing lovelier than seeing an artist develop over the years.

Tom Mitchell is one of those special acts and I'm really happy to have him on the blog once again.

He's here with a new release and I'd like to encourage you to listen to it.

 Artist: Tom Mitchell

Title: Stones

Genre: Folk

Label: Independent

Release: 2nd March 2015

HITS rating: 8/10

 Tom Mitchell is a singer/songwriter from Bristol, UK. His music is best described as handmade folk with its focus on vocals and guitar work.

Tom has been surrounded by music from day one and grew up to the music of Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and a lot more. 

At the age of 7 he was sat in front of a piano, four years later he started playing the guitar.

The guitar has never left Tom's side. In fact it lead him to play with acts such as Duffy, the Cadbury Sisters, Juey and John Madden.

In 2013 Tom finally started to sing and work on his own music and soon released his debut album "New World".

Earlier in March he released his new record "Stones", which I'm going to review for you today.

Tracklist:

1) Shadows In The Water

2) Fifty Trees

3) Lockdown In Five

4) Aim

5) Stones

6) St James's Gate

Like I mentioned earlier, I am familiar with Tom's sound. It's really nice to hear his signature sound, you know I really love that about artists who have their very own style.

 I love when you hear the first chord or first note and know whose song is playing.

Opener "Shadows In The Water" welcomes you with Tom's atmospheric guitar work. With experience in playing guitar for many years, it doesn't surprise you how well the instrumentals are arranged.

The acoustic guitar plays the leading part, the e-guitar breathes life into the song. Another element that is just as typical for Tom as his guitar work, are his vocals; smooth, soothing and soft vocals tell that stories oh so beautifully.

"Fifty Trees" reminds me a bit of Simon and Garfunkel, which is definitely a nice thing!
Light backing vocals sung by Sarah Proudfoot highlight the song in a brilliant way; the cleverly used percussions give the song more grip, more atmosphere. The guitar solo towards the end just multiplies the intensity and shows what Tom is made of.

 If you've been around during February, you've probably already seen Tom's performance of "St James's Gate" in honour of our third birthday. (If not, here you go.) (It also features his adorable son Neddy!)
It's the last song on the album and it's my personal favourite. Tom's voice is at its best and soaks you in. The calming, yet very colourful instrumentals wrap you up like a warm blanket.

To sum it up: Pair soothing vocals with fantastic guitar work and wisely used percussions and you get Tom Mitchell. "Stones" is another fantastic piece of art created by the Bristol based musician and it's probably his best release to date.

You should listen to these tracks: Fifty Trees, Lockdown In Five, St James's Gate

Tom Mitchell online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud

Thank you for reading!

Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Tom Mitchell