ARTIST: MITTENS
TITLE: ENDLESSLY
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 4, 2017
LABEL: UNSIGNED / SELF-RELEASE
Mittens‘ sophomore release is endlessly comfy and cheerful with sophisticated song structures set to pop candy melodies.
Can I get through the second song of this sugary album without mentioning the word “CUTE”? Apparently not.
What grabs your attention right away on this album is the unique timbre or quality to each of Ramona McCarthy, Lia Dearborn, and Paul Ryu’s voices. Their collective harmonies pay homage to the commercial jangle of 50’s diner doo-wop and attitude of post riot girl groups like The Go Go’s and another ListenSD favorite local outfit Soft Lions.
The second track “Misunderstood,” is an anthem of female empowerment and independence. Lead singer/guitarist McCarthy commands our attention with her seductive yet snarly hook–“No matter how hard I try/(My sense of self contraband)/Boy, you still misunderstand”–and hurls us through the red light at the intersection of innocence and maturity.
Another extra rad stand-out on this album is track eight, “Magician.” There is definitely an Allah-Las 60’s surf vibe set perfectly by the boppy groove of bassist/vocalist Dearborn and drummer-extraordinaire Matthew Burke (also of Grizzly Business) upon which angelic vocals float on top of. Not to mention the EPIC guitar solo about 2 minutes in that showcases the immense musical chops of Ryu, who also recorded and engineered the album.
While the production has nicely evolved from their 2017 San Diego Music Award nominated self-titled album, Mittens’ sound remains remarkably cohesive and consistently adorable. Are you smiling yet?
Partake in the revolution of cuteness Saturday, November 4th at Bark Pink for the official album release with The Hiroshima Mockingbirds, The Strawberry Moons, and The Ramona Flowers (UK).
