Jefferson Hyll is the moniker of singer/songwriter Phillip E. Mitchell. Mitchell mentions “Since 2019, I’ve slowly moved from Americana to alternative rock, with hints of my previous approach. My sound is influenced largely by ‘80s Springstreen and Dylan, The Wallflowers, Tom Petty, The War on Drugs, The Waterboys and others”. You can hear this on his release Dark.
The Springsteen influence was apparent to me when listening to these songs. There’s a sense of familiarity in terms of Americana and Mitchell manages to reinforce his signature sound across these songs.
The album starts with “Radio Nights” which comes out of the gates with a full arrangement of instruments including drums, bass, guitar and even some synths. I like a song that starts with a guitar solo. The verse comes quickly and the hook comes in under a minute as Hyll sings “Turn it up.” It’s a strong opener and one of the more single-worthy songs on the album.
“If I sleep” hits all the right notes for a nostalgic and melancholy song. I loved how this song unfolded. It starts off slightly pensive and the dynamics shifts are subtle. The drums come in and there’s a sense of comfort and understanding. Mitchell sounds really good on vocals here as he is in a comfortable range.
The title track “Dark” is a great song as well. It’s moody with reverb laced guitars which really reinforce the feeling of nostalgia. The drums and bass are the foundation here. I was reminded of the band Wilco on this track.
That classic Bruce Springsteen style comes across on “The Seven Seas” which feels celebratory and quite epic. This is the type of song that sounds great live on Friday with a drink in your hands.
The album continues with the slightly Leonard Cohen-esque “City Inside.” This is another song where Hyll hits it out of the park in terms of the vocals. It’s also a very dynamic song. “Human Heart” is the halfway point. It’s a ballad of sorts and another strong song. At this point I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the songs.
As the album progressed I thought there were a number of high points. “Stars” has its moments. “Window of Time” felt like an accessible single while the misty nostalgia of “Crying for Love (For Chet Baker)” feels like an ephemeral dream with some exceptional female vocal accompaniment. “Black Car from Avalon” has its moments and “Heart’s a Riddle” is arguably the most joyful and life affirming song. Last up is “Hold That Thought, Hold Me Tighter” which is a sentimental closer that might make you shed a tear.
This was a great album from beginning to end. It’s an emotive album that might bring you some perspective. Take a listen.
