EP Review: Damon Mitchell – Elise
Bright, intelligent pop is the métier of Damon Mitchell. Fans of Owsley, Jellyfish, Ben Folds and similar purveyors of pure pop will find much to like in these six tunes. “Heist” sports some falsetto vocals that recall the best qualities of early Beach Boys, with a good bit of quirk added. The wonderfully melancholy “Just a Face” takes thing in a more contemplative direction, with a feel likely influenced by mid-sixties Beatles and/or the Paisley Underground movement. “License Plate” applies the same values to a subtly Americana-feeling tune complete with a fiddle solo.
“Salo” is a breathy singer-songwriter styled tune; as catchy and alluring as its melody is, Mitchell’s singing is the centerpiece of the song. Some unexpected chord changes pull the song outside of the pop framework, but a little musical ambition isn’t a bad thing. Slipping in a few lyrical bits from The Band’s “The Weight” is clever in this context, too.
The delightful “World in Her Eyes” is wholly unexpected. It sounds like Burt Bacharach and Herb Alpert dropped by the studio. Mitchell seems to meander a bit around the melody, but when that trumpet kicks in, all is forgiven (he does at least as well as Herb did on “This Guy’s in Love With You”). The EP wraps up with its title track, the rocking-est of the six cuts. Some tasty electric piano enlivens the arrangement, and the guitar solos provides two of the set’s best moments.
Fun/random fact: Nick D’Virgilio – formerly of Spock’s Beard and one of the best progressive rock drummers in the business – plays on three of this EP’s tracks. There’s little about Elise that falls into the prog category, but it’s a fine collection of pop nonetheless.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.