New Music Review - ‘patience’ the album by Mitch James
patience - something we have all needed these past four plus years while waiting for Mitch James to drop his second album. It has certainly been worth the wait. Photo credit: Mitch’s Instagram.
Mitch James is back with his astronomical sophomore album that has been a long-awaited treat for fans of all ages with a four-year gap between his self-titled drop and this newbie.
patience is a virtue and to say I personally have no patience while waiting for new music is absolutely correct. Mitch is bringing to town a whole other way of viewing the world with patience. It is tactically perfected to the seams and distinctly unique to his personal style of writing.
Halloween may have just passed; however, Mitch is serving up the treats with how tastefully in tune patience is with every single song on this ten-track masterpiece.
Starting off with the first single from the album, motions (review here) is a solid and very lowkey chilled out moment to reel you in to listening to patience, a good move. It is evident that the tracks on the album have been laid out in order to tell a story, rather than being chucked together and served up in a random order.
patience showcases the hard work that Mitch has put down with this album. The grit and determination is like no other and it shows. The definitive nature of maturity since the first album in 2018, the pureness of being completely open about topics that are hard to sometimes comprehend, let alone talk about... It is a breath of pure fresh air. patience feels more authentic and touching than former drops of his music. It feels as though Mitch has had more breathing space and room to grow during the course of putting this album together and that is very respectable.
stuck in denial is this catchy, upbeat song that will get the attention of many who have not heard the tune yet. It’s a highly relatable write-up that can only be classed as an understanding of what goes on within the human brain when we are trying to get past some life things that are happening. It goes to show that Mitch and others, no matter who you are, experience the same emotions as us regular people do and have moments of denial. In terms of relatability, I think that we can all find something in common with stuck in denial. This is a really great listen.
armageddon strips it back with this insane pop-base that Mitch is known for. A sweet head-over-heels song that takes it to a different elevation with cheeky, double-meaning lyrics such as “armageddon you tonight” that brings out Mitch’s hilarious persona. A sensual, essential song on patience.
japan holds this major sentimental value to listeners across the country and evidently, the world. It feels like a safe space. A home. The warmest blanket. The tone of depth from japan sets it apart from the remainder of the album. It has the energy to be interpreted from different perspectives, something that makes it so beyond special.
fade to black comes across as an ode to regrets, as though Mitch is looking to eliminate and bury the past as much as possible, however, he is recognising how much these errors have also shaped him into who he is. The song is quite heavy on the heart as Mitch gets vulnerable and raw with his lyrics and doesn’t hold back on what he is singing about. The strings around my soul are constantly pulled when listening to this song.
those were the days lightens up the mood and reminisces on all of the primarily good times shared with a significant other. It brings back memories of staying up late talking, singing, dancing and generally just enjoying the company of that one special person (I bet you have someone on your mind when you listen to this one). those were the days is uplifting, especially for those days where you need a bit of a boost.
cloud has a distinct taste to it - shallow beats, accompanied by out-there cloudy infused lyricism. The notion of wanting to be a cloud essentially meaning that you could just float away from situations you don’t want to be in. Mitch is clearly going to make this song a boisterous one while performing it on future tours and I’m looking forward to seeing audience reactions to this one.
home is lonely is tantalizing. Thought provoking. Unique. It is easy to see why Mitch is exceptionally proud of this track. “I didn’t think changing would turn my friends into strangers” sends out these intense sparks of heartbreak that circles round with full intensity. The courage to stand up and be able to share, once again, the vulnerabilities of Mitch’s inner thoughts and feelings helps the album feel more personable. home is lonely, while a sad track, is also humbling and a good reminder that things in our own lives happen for reasons beyond our control sometimes. Situations run their course and this tends to lead us to where we need to be at the end of the day. The approach to how Mitch has carried this song through is spectacular. Obsessed.
stone cold sober is the most fun jam on patience. Upon first hearing this in 2019, a lot of audiences throughout New Zealand fell in love with the tune, including myself, proven with Mitch’s handwriting with the lyrics “I got lucky like a five leaf clover” permanently inked on my skin. The mellowed down, recorded version stills holds so much value, even a few years later. It is a seriously delightful song that just floats all on its own and I’m ecstatic that Mitch decided to put this on patience.
bulletholes brings this strong album to a close, Mitch’s bright vocals taking centre stage in this tune, along with the prominent guitar work that deserves a grammy for the way it perfectly fits. The stars certainly aligned to deliver on the immensely impressive delivery of the final track. Diving into this body of music that brings attention to someone that got away feels like a proper heftiness to the circumstances, leaving everyone wonder: will this person make a reappearance in Mitch’s life? I guess we will have to wait for album three to find out.
All in all, patience is a modestly truthful album that can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages, universally.
patience is available to stream and purchase in physical CD form now. For more Mitch, check his social media links below -