CD Review – Mission Bell – Amos Lee

13 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on CD Review – Mission Bell – Amos Lee

Mission Bell – Amos Lee (Blue Note records, 2010)

Just last week someone told me that music today lacks real storytellers. Enter Amos Lee to correct the problem. Mission Bell is a musical quilt of strong stories, soothing melodies and genuine artistry.

The CD opens with ‘El Camino,’ on which he confesses how he’s wronged someone. Songs like ‘Violin,’ ‘Flower,’ and ‘Cup of Sorrow’ flow so effortlessly. The album is full of surprises such as the latin-influenced ‘Hello Again’ with its soft, perfectly placed horn section. Near the end of the song collection sits the beautiful ‘Clear Blue Eyes,’ a collaboration with Lucinda Williams. Mission Bell closes with a reprise of ‘El Camino,’ this time involving Willie Nelson. It’s the perfect closer to this gorgeous collection.

You can hear the influence of artists like Bill Withers, Otis Redding, Neil Young, James Taylor and even Marvin Gaye. Amos’s use of instrumentation leans towards folk, his voice towards soul, but he succeeds in gelling it all together into one cohesive album. The songwriting relies not on catchy pop hooks but on strong lyrics.

Critics have tried to classify Amos Lee as folk, soul, americana, and a dozen other things but, really, he just makes good music. If Mission Bell does not end up in my Top 5 best albums of 2011, I will be very surprised.

Mission Bell will be released on January 25, 2011 and comes very highly recommended.

Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

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