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TNew Release on 10/26 of "Chicago Holiday" Album
A UNIQUE TASTE ON MUSIC
From The "Crossroads" To "A Better World", The Phil Mitchell Band Releases A Quality Brand New Album in October.
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23rd September 2020: Indie Rock Group from Chicago, “The Phil Mitchell Band”, is once again making headlines in the music world with the proposed release of a brand-new album in October. In a depressing and gloomy pandemic atmosphere, the new release music comes like a breath of fresh air reflected aptly in the album title A Better World.
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Lead composer, and singer-songwriter Phil Mitchell is well known for producing beautiful music in a diversity of musical genres. A Better World, is a journey of sorts taking him from the style of his earlier album Crossroads to A Better World. According to the singer, the transition reflects his own life narrated through a well-crafted musical experience.
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The Phil Mitchell Band’s new album will undoubtedly be an all-encompassing experience for the listener. Targeted at a diverse audience, the album will feature the quote writer’s signature style of integrating a variety of sounds including rock, folk, dance, and R&B. Echoing the influence of Celtic music, Classical music, Pop music, and Electronic Dance music, A Better World is literally what it says, a brand-new experience for any music fan.
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Phil Mitchell’s penchant for melting contemporary music with classical; rock and folk is not new. It is this incredible artistry in collaboration with some well-known musicians that has made him a popular figure on the music scene. With A Better World, Mitchell seeks to achieve likewise with well-known singers like Natasha Sheyenne, Lisanne Veenendaal, and Joda Omi being featured in the venture. Backing up the singers on the musical venture is none other than guitarist Alvaro Soto.
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A Better World proposes to be true to its name with creative songwriting that hopes to captivate a listener’s imagination. The album releasing in October is perhaps the best thing for music lovers isolated in a time bereft of outdoor entertainment. In such a scenario, the album will indeed be a pick-me-up for the senses making every listener want more out of life. Promoting A Better World as a journey of self-discovery and imagination,
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Mitchell says, Let's build those dreams together than "never die and last.
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As one of the best Indie Rock groups to come out of Chicago, The Phil Mitchell Band has always been successful in the past for their unique musical collaborations. Band members blend perfectly in sync to produce flawlessly musical harmony. It may not be wrong to expect a lot out of A Better World as the perfect release for the Christmas music season.
For more information: www.philmitchellband.com
Media Contact:
Phil Mitchell
Morning Star Recordings
Chicago, USA
Email: Freedomphiltube@gmail.com
ALBUM REVIEWS
"Chicaggo Holiday" Reviews
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“God Bless This Child On Christmas follows a gorgeous passage of tumbling piano runs and interweaving strings.
Across The Danube is a real album highlight, a slow burning epic pitched between rock, jazz and classic torch ballads of the past. Once again, the hugely emotive and passionate lead female vocals deserve special mention, along with the delicious stacked harmonies that enter towards the end.
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The album finishes with another excellent instrumental, Miracle Of The Star. This brings us back to the central Christian theme of this album, the miracle of Christ’s birth which we celebrate every year through Christmas and its rituals . Regardless of your faith, the inspiring nature of this track provides a very uplifting ending to this traditional yet innovative album. Replete with a magnificent piano arrangement and performance, as well as passages of brilliantly vibrant strings, it builds towards an overwhelming crescendo that would fill an atheist with a religious awe.
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Overall, this is a rare gem of an album from the Phil Mitchell band. Christmas themed albums don’t usually inspire great critical acclaim as they are often seasonal cash ins. However, Chicago Holiday is an inspiration from start to finish, full of exceptional vocal and instrumental performances. Managing to effortlessly encompass a huge variety of musical styles, Chicago Holiday can lay claim to being a masterpiece of its type.” - Alex Faulkner, Faulkner Review
Alex Faulkner
Faulkner Review
“Changing pace is the following 'Like a River,' the band locking into a smooth groove before erupting into a potent breakdown led by some impressive guitar licks and sultry saxophone. Another highlight is the tear-jerking 'Across The Danube,' the band laying down a melancholic base for Natasha Shayenne's impassioned vocals to soar on top off. Just when you think you have the band figured out, though, a fiery guitar solo in the same vein as Carlos Santana irrupts to grab your attention.
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The title track mixes things up yet again, delivering some real swing to proceedings. This jazzy little ode to the most wonderful time of the year is a treat and precisely the kind of thing you’ll want to find in your stocking come December 25th. For those looking for something to soundtrack your trip to work, you can't go wrong with the cinematic 'Carriage Ride Downtown Chicago' a stunning instrumental number that feels like having your own theme tune.
With their fifth full length, the Phil Mitchell Band has proven that they've got the skill and ambition to try anything - as long as it puts a smile on your face and a song in your heart." - Sam Walker
“Compassion radiates from the Phil Mitchell Band’s core on the tender odes of “Chicago Holiday”. A deft exploration of faith, there is a welcoming attitude that helps to tie these songs together. The stylistic diversity helps to give the album a classic cadence to it, ranging from doo-wop to jazz to honky-tonk to southern rock to the classic blues done with such poignancy. By far the highlight comes from the incredible vocals that take front and center stage. Instrumental diversity makes sure that journey keeps the listener on their toes. Lyricism tells a story, one of the excitements that Chicago brings along with that very special time of year.
With that distinct western blues and charm, there is a poignancy to the way they deeply explore the geography of Chicago. Elements of Michigan Avenue and the joys the Windy City bring are brought into focus. Additionally, they do have a certain fondness for Woody Guthrie’s sense of purpose, for there is that questioning attitude, that exploration of what it all means, that makes his work still poignant to this very day.
“When the Lord Came” starts things off on a regal, majestic note with impassioned vocals. Elegant to a tee comes the jubilant “Like a River” featuring some fantastic work on the drums and piano, giving the whole thing a fully realized disposition. A fantastic buildup rolls around “God Bless this Child on Christmas”. Chords have a majesty throughout “Across the Danube”. Pure bliss “Windy City Nights” races forward in a carefree, giddy way. The word choice becomes particularly on point for “Chicago Holiday”. Slowing things down a bit the reflective “Rescue Me Blues” takes its time for a whole life is laid bare. Quite cinematic “Carriage Ride Downtown Chicago” gallops about with glee. Effortlessly closing it out the finale “Miracle of the Star” has a grandeur about it.
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The Phil Mitchell Band paints a vivid, real world on the completely immersive experience of “Chicago Holiday”. - Beach Sloth.com
DEBUT SINGLE A HUGE SUCCESS
This track, Come and Stay With Me, is an upbeat pop/rock song taken from their album Crossroads, with elements of 70’s rock such as musical virtuosity and an ambitious, epic arrangement. The sound is very musical with flamboyant, Rick Wakeman-style piano and equally florid guitars, providing the bedrock for Phil Mitchell’s assured vocal performance. The lilting verse melody latches quickly in the memory but its the surging passages of energetic musicianship that really set this apart from the pack. The structure is unusual but highly effective and the longer the track goes on the more euphoric the instrumental sections become. Strident, octave-spanning piano duels with creamy electric lead guitar and synth strings driven by solid but inventive drumming, held in perfect balance by the vocal sections and the infectious title hook. This approach brought to mind the epic rock of the 70’s such as Queen and the operatic rock of Jim Steinman (Meat Loaf).
Overall, this is an immensely enjoyable rock/pop track that cleverly balances traditional verse and chorus songwriting with instrumental sections that allow the other members of the Phil Mitchell Band to shine. What is truly impressive is how the studio recording has effectively captured the energy of the musical performances and you can tell this is a band who have been playing a long time. It’s this kind of musical authenticity that is lacking from so much modern mainstream music, but fortunately Phil Mitchell and his gifted cohorts are here to help redress the balance.
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VERDICT = 9 out of 10
Alex Faulkner
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