Chelsea Mitchell.
Posted By: Smidge "The Boss" | April 8, 2010 | 4 comments
Chelsea Mitchell categorizes her music as folk rock/ acoustic/ indie. These days, women in the music industry tend to strive for the pop/ rock/ indie or the wear as little as possible/ claiming I can sing, categories. I personally think Chelsea Mitchell may need her own genre named after her, where other aspiring musicians could hope to fall under the “Chelsea Mitchell” category. She has been compared to Joni Mitchell (I can totally see why) and Sarah McLachlan, two women with powerhouse vocals. You don’t compare anyone to Joni Mitchell unless they are completely worthy, this is a cardinal rule in music. Chelsea Mitchell is absolutely worthy of that comparison.
While listening to her music, I was blind-sided with nostalgia. I feel like I have heard something like this… I feel like I did when I was a little girl watching my mom sway back and forth while cleaning the house. This music… emanating in the background of my memory. And then it hit me. Carly Simon. That beautiful awning voice that always gave me goosebumps and that incredible pure feeling of goodness. Well, my friends, Chelsea Mitchell gave me the exact same feeling. If you want comparisons, I think Joni Mitchell, Sarah Mclachlan and Carly Simon are some very serious names. But this isn’t about names of the past, this is about a name in the present, and most definitely one you will hear in the future.
With consistent control over her voice Chelsea still manages to pierce your soul with pure emotion. There is something about her songs that force you to get to the root of your own being. Her lyrics are strong, heartfelt and true. But it is not just about her words, it’s all about the way Chelsea delivers her lyrics; with a raw intensity that forces you to pay attention. Chelsea has lyrics that inspire your heart to pay attention to your mind, and encourage your mind to listen to your heart. Here is a little taste:
“Loose Ends”
I know I’m wrong, I know I’m hopeless
You say “move on” like I don’t know it’s over
Is it over?
You make excuses why you can’t do this
You’re out to prove I will always lose
because you love her
and it’s over
“Lovely”
I am not inclined to depend on you
I have undermined your hopes of gratitude
I can speak my mind just like the big girls do
And I have been just fine with solitude
I suggest you listen to these songs, as well as anything else Chelsea has to offer you. =) Listen here: CHELSEA MITCHELL
The best part of this musician, is that she does all of this without all the glitz and glitter synthesized propaganda that has completely deteriorated the purity of real women musicians. So, Kudos to you Chelsea, for being a real woman with an incredible natural voice and wonderful personality. I would like to thank you, for keeping it real.
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Joe Davola April 8, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Chelsea takes great pride in her lyrics, but I think it’s her ability to come up with great melodic hooks that will propel her to the stardom she deserves. (Yes, by the way, she plays guitar very well.) Her recent performance at The Kimmel Center, with her phenomenal band, was as memorable a concert as I have seen in years.
J.M.B April 8, 2010 at 3:50 pm
I started listening to Chelsea’s music on her MySpace page, and I had to turn it off. I wasnt prepared to be that happy yet today. I’m giving it 15 minutes. …just straight crept up on me!
Lili Anel April 8, 2010 at 3:25 pm
I first heard and met Chelsea in 2005 when I moved to Philadelphia. We were both regular attendees at World Cafe Live’s Monday night open mic. She was like a magnet, rather, her songs were, drawing you in. She was incredible. She sat very shy, in a chair, looking down, reading her lyrics as she sang and played. I introduced myself to her after and immediately told her, “lose the chair, stand tall, you’re beautiful and have a great voice that needs to be heard; learn the song, lose the notebook”. She’s incredible. We’ve become friends. I helped her pick out her beautiful Takamine. We’ve worked together in the past I hope we will work together again. She is definitely “up there” as a songwriter and singer and totally deserves the spotlight.
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