Anaïs Mitchell is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, released on January 28, 2022, through BMG Rights Management, her first release on the label. The album features musical contributions from Michael Lewis, JT Bates, Thomas Bartlett, Aaron Dessner and Nico Muhly.[12]
| Anaïs Mitchell | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 28, 2022 | |||
| Studio | Dreamland Recording Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 32:03 | |||
| Label | BMG | |||
| Producer | Josh Kaufman | |||
| Anaïs Mitchell chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Anaïs Mitchell | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |   [2] |
| Evening Standard | [5] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[6] |
| Mojo | [7] |
| No Ripcord | 7/10[3] |
| Paste | 7.9/10[1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10[8] |
| The Sydney Morning Herald | [9] |
| The Telegraph | [10] |
| Uncut | 8/10[11] |
Promotion
edit"Bright Star" was released as the album's first single on October 28, 2021. It is an indie folk song "about looking back on years of restless pursuit and making peace with the source of that longing: the Muse, the Great Unknown, the One That Got Away – those things that motivate us that we never can touch."[13] It impacted adult alternative radio on January 10, 2022.[14]
Album opener "Brooklyn Bridge" was released as the second single from the album on December 2, 2021. Of the song, Mitchell said "Having left New York, I was able to write a love letter to it in a way I never could when I was living there. It was like, fuck it. This is how I feel. There is nothing more beautiful than riding over one of the New York bridges at night next to someone who inspires you."[15]
"On Your Way (Felix Song)" was released as the third single on January 12, 2022. Dedicated to the late Felix McTeigue, Mitchell said of him "We briefly had the same manager in our early 'hustling days' of trying to get a songwriter career going. I can picture us playing at the old Living Room on the lower east side, and me being one of five people in Felix's audience, and vice versa. Felix was really fearless and present, he always had a guitar on his back, he was always writing something, he loved the act of just rushing headlong into writing, recording, not overthinking it. It's a lesson I'll return to for the rest of my life."[16]
Mitchell will tour the album across the United States and Europe in 2022, with her band Bonny Light Horseman joining her for some American dates.[17][18]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Anaïs Mitchell
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Brooklyn Bridge" | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Bright Star" | 3:10 |
| 3. | "Revenant" | 3:30 |
| 4. | "On Your Way (Felix Song)" | 2:53 |
| 5. | "Real World" | 1:49 |
| 6. | "Backroads" | 3:26 |
| 7. | "Little Big Girl" | 3:18 |
| 8. | "Now You Know" | 3:14 |
| 9. | "The Words" | 3:11 |
| 10. | "Watershed" | 3:14 |
| Total length: | 32:03 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Morning Glory" | 2:22 |
| 12. | "Any Way You Come" | 3:26 |
| Total length: | 37:51 | |
Personnel
editMusicians
- Anaïs Mitchell – vocals (all tracks), acoustic guitar (2–4, 7–9)
- Michael Lewis – bass (1, 2, 4–8, 10), saxophone (1, 2, 4, 6, 10), tenor saxophone (3), clarinet (6), synthesizer (10)
- JT Bates – drums, percussion (1–8, 10)
- Josh Kaufman – electric guitar (1–8), synthesizer (1, 10), bass (3), piano (3, 9), mandolin (4, 6) organ (6, 10), harmonica (8), 12-string guitar (10), synth bass (10)
- Aaron Dessner – electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 10)
- Nico Muhly – ensemble, string arrangement (1); arrangement (6, 9, 10)
- Thomas Bartlett – piano (1, 2, 4–8, 10), synthesizer (1–4, 9, 10), Wurlitzer (2, 3, 8, 9), Rhodes piano (4), Mellotron (6), organ (7)
- Nadia Sirota – viola (1, 9, 10)
- Nathan Schram – violin (1, 9, 10)
- Alex Sopp – flute (6)
Technical
- Josh Kaufman – production
- Greg Calbi – mastering
- Steve Fallone – mastering
- D. James Goodwin – mixing
- Bella Blasko – engineering
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[19] | 37 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[20] | 30 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[21] | 10 |
References
edit- ^ a b Johnson, Ellen (January 26, 2022). "Anaïs Mitchell Swaps Lore for Personal History on Her New Self-Titled Solo Album". Paste. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (January 27, 2022). "Anaïs Mitchell: Anaïs Mitchell review – walking out of Hades". The Guardian. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ a b Rodriguez, Juan Edgardo (January 31, 2022). "Mitchell: Anaïs Mitchell - Music Review". No Ripcord. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ "Anaïs Mitchell by Anaïs Mitchell". Metacritic. metacritic.com.
- ^ Smyth, David (January 27, 2022). "Anaïs Mitchell - Anaïs Mitchell review: Tranquil tales are a world away from Hadestown". Evening Standard. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Tom (January 26, 2022). "Anaïs Mitchell embraces the stillness of life on her powerful self-titled return". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ Brown, Glyn. "Review: Anaïs Mitchell – Anaïs Mitchell". Mojo. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Wolper, Caitlin (January 28, 2022). "Anaïs Mitchell - Anaïs Mitchell Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ Lal, Kish (January 28, 2022). "The Whitlams back from exile after 16 years". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ McCormick, Neil (January 28, 2022). "Anaïs Mitchell could give Taylor Swift and Damon Albarn a lesson in old-fashioned songcraft". The Telegraph. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ McKay, Alastair. "Review: Anaïs Mitchell – Anaïs Mitchell". Uncut. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Cubas, Ana (October 27, 2021). "Anaïs Mitchell Announces First New Solo Album in Over a Decade". Paste. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew (October 27, 2021). "Anaïs Mitchell announces first solo album in a decade, shares "Bright Star"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Triple A Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Kenneally, Cerys (December 2, 2021). "Anaïs Mitchell releases new album opener "Brooklyn Bridge"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Helman, Peter (January 12, 2022). "Anaïs Mitchell – "On Your Way (Felix Song)"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Bonny Light Horseman announce 2022 co-headlining tour w/ Anaïs Mitchell". BrooklynVegan. August 1, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Anais Mitchell's new single, new album and US & European Tours". Karakter Worldwide. 27 October 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 5, 2022.