Review: Elizabeth Mitchell's You Are My Little Bird

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This is a breathtakingly lovely disc by Rhode Island-based, coffeehouse-type, folkie-cum-kindergarten educator, Elizabeth Mitchell. Not a surprise to learn that the sugary-voiced chanteuse was once half of a duo with Lisa Loeb, yet this record is the direct result of redirecting her muse after the birth of her child. It is children’s music – pure and simple, sung as only a parent can, with an old-to-new blend of traditional and modern songs to hold you and your small charge riveted for a too-short 34 minutes. Why? The simplicity of a lighter-than-air voice, accompanied only by guitar or banjo, rhythm sticks and the odd harmony (with her husband) or singalong (with her daughter and cousins) provide a much-needed detour from a hectic world as Mitchell coos her way through the works of Pete Seeger, Burl Ives and Woody Guthrie amidst reworkings of songs by Neil Young, Vashti Bunyon and The Velvet Underground. Despite this range, Mitchell transforms each composition into a relaxed and intimate experience. Contrast the magical “Buckeye Jim” with the delicate “Peace Like A River”, or the colourful Japanese “Zousan”. Largely influenced and inspired by the great Elizabeth Cotten and Guthrie, Mitchell uses simplicity to underline the melodies making each song a singalong waiting to happen. This is a rare and beautiful release. - Rating - 4.5/5