Posted October 21, 200816 yr Lisa Mitchell Neopolitan Dreams Paint It Gold Sony 19 January 2009 // Myspace http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Music/Pix/pictures/2008/10/06/Envy276.jpg Lisa Mitchell Synopsis There are a lot of female singer-songwriters waiting in the wings at the moment, and our money's on Florence & the Machine to do the business. But there are other contenders to consider. For instance, there's a young Australian singer-songwriter called Lisa Mitchell who is looking very impressive, not just because she's only 18, a month younger than Laura Marling, but also because she's a former contestant on the 2006 edition of Australian Idol and we know what a bunch of karaoke clothes' horses and wailing wannabes that lot tend to be. Not that we're anti-pop TV snobs or have an aversion to former contestants – Girls Aloud's new single is an absolute stormer by any measure – but those shows gauge vocal prowess and nothing else. And there's more to Mitchell than an ability to hold a note, although she does that very well indeed, even if her voice is perhaps too idiosyncratic for one of those reality programmes, a little too quavery, kooky and girly. This is probably why she only came sixth on Aussie Idol despite sterling performances of Blondie's Heart of Glass and Coldplay's See You Soon. She should have done Throbbing Gristle's Discipline. Her voice better suits her own songs, which she's been working on back in England, where she was born in Kent before moving with her parents when she was three to Albury in New South Wales. The musicians she's been writing with cover the waterfront, stylistically, and include Turin Brakes, Andy Barlow (Lamb), Sacha Skarbek (James Blunt, Adele), Craig Dodds (Sugababes, Natty, Amy Winehouse), Sam Dixon (Will Young) and Dann Hume of NZ indie-rock band Evermore. Of all the people she's been collaborating with, though, it's acclaimed - but thus far wildly unsuccessful - British singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt (co-writer and keyboardist on her forthcoming debut album) who appears to have made the biggest impression on her music – a series of candy-coated folk-pop lullabies with deft arrangements and delicate melodies. They've got Harcourt's lightness of touch and blend of the sweet and savage. Meanwhile, production on the album is courtesy Anthony Whiting who has worked with MIA. Mitchell's views on the War On Terror and commitment to the cause of the Tamil Tigers are, as yet, unknown. The name of another singer-songwriter occurs listening to forthcoming single Neapolitan Dreams - Bic Runga, New Zealand's most popular female musician, who also does cute but deadly. We're not the only ones to discern a slightly eerie quality here - one particular washing-liquid company has just used Neapolitan Dreams on their latest advert, and it's more like a Björk video or a fantasy snippet from Alice In Wonderland than a 60-second soap ad. In fact, it has already been hailed by one wag as The Best Laundry Detergent Ad … Ever! Surf's up. Lisa Mitchell Neopolitan Dreams // Video 5RowAc-H3EM Lovely. Goodelta, Ben and a few others will be keen on her I'm sure. She is obviously going to be huge in 2009. I'd expect a top 10 album from this girl if not a #01 album. Her debut single's already charting on iTunes here some 3 months ahead of release...
October 21, 200816 yr I didn't know what to make of it at first to be honest! Maybe it needs a few more listens but at the moment it lacks that certain something... i'm just not sure what it is :thinking:
December 20, 200816 yr I guess everybody has heard of this now, since I gave it coverage in BJSC12 :heehee:
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