| Sweet, melodic and masterful, Mitch Linker's solo debut is a joy and a marvel. |
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Mitch Linker
Mitch Linker
B.S.D. Productions (2005)
Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than the sound of perfectly-realized melodic pop being created by a master of the form. One-half of the Day Traders, once a member of Connecticut art-poppers, the Dent, and now a solo artist, Mitch Linker is one such master. His melodic gifts are a collective treasure; to listen to him ply his trade on this album’s 11 songs is a joy and a marvel and more joy and marveling than this may be more than one person can stand, but I doubt it.
In fact, Linker’s sweet-voiced approach to pop is so innate that his performances seem absolutely effortless, so natural as to be almost as second-nature as breathing. Linker’s melodies go skin deep to the soul like a ballerina’s musical moves; his melodic, assured vocals are heaven-sent; and his first solo album is one of the freshest breaths of air you will breathe in this or any year.
Linker is all about love, about how life revolves around it, curls around it, couldn’t live without it, wouldn’t live without it, and all the while, with the natural boundaries of life sometimes bounding up against the love-infused, he breaks through and brings his take on love home in the form of gorgeous songs stacked high with hooks that run deep.
Every one of these songs, these glorious songs, is a perfect encapsulation of what makes pop music so wonderful. I would like to talk about every one of them, but talk is cheap, and the longer I go on, the longer it will be until you spin these songs for yourself. So, the highest of 11 highlights, then: the entrancing, emotional vocal of the ballad “Holding On”; the romantic mood of the majestic “I’ll Talk You Down,” buoyed by particularly affecting background vocals in the fade; and the simply astounding ballad “New York,” in which the Big Apple is a metaphor for facing the reality of one’s goals.
Then there is the hauntingly beautiful opener, “All of the Love”; and the jaunty, poppy, should-be-a-single, you-won’t-be-able-to-get-it-out-of-your-head “Want Me Around”; and this album’s best song, the so-catchy-it-hurts “Break Up the Band,” which sports one of this year’s most infectious choruses.
Kudos to Linker and producer Brett Kull, who played the lion’s share of instruments and made this album sound so incredibly alive, and to guest musicians and additional producers Saul Zonana and Dan Rowe. It takes a village to make a great record; come and meet your new neighbors.
Alan Haber
October 30, 2005
Go to: Mitch Linker