Unless you’re my (adorable!) niece who just turned two yesterday, you’ve probably endured the entire 72-hour brunt of this past weekend with the full, excruciating awareness that UK grime god Mr. Mitch’s new album Devout came out this past Friday (April 21) on Planet Mu and that you haven’t yet had the time to consider snatching-up your copy of the filial-piety-themed opus.
Well, first off: you can RELAX, man. Let go of those regrets. That awful stressball-of-a-weekend is history. And second: waiting for good ol' Monday to arrive before "considering" your purchase has really paid-off in this case. Because today TMT is proud to present the SHAPE-affiliated artist's own insightful, penetrating, exclusive-to-TMT, track-by-track breakdown of the entire album! "It's about being skeptical about allowing yourself to fall for someone," he tells us of Devout's themes as a whole. "It's about protecting yourself from getting hurt."
So, yeah; now that that pesky, work-a-day “weekend” is outta here — why not just sit back, relax, and stream this entire funky thing while you read through Mitch’s context-enhancing musings on each component song down below? (And once you get to the bottom, use those newly refreshed eyeballs to peep the North American tour that he’ll be embarking on next month).
Mr. Mitch’s track-by-track breakdown:
01. Intro (ft. Milo and Oscar)
A version of this was the first track to feature my vocals, but this version was the last track to be made for the album. My eldest son Milo (who was 5 at the time) features first with something that I actually sampled from a video I found on his iPad and my youngest Oscar (who was 6 months) has a small vocal feature taken from a video recording of the first time he says Dad. I thought it was a perfect way to start the album and introduce the themes within it.
02. Priority (ft. P Money)
I’d been wanting to work with P Money for years, he had always been one of the most respected MC’s in my area (Lewisham/Blue Borough) and he had actually voiced a track of mine before back in 2006/7. Though I’m not sure he was aware who produced it. He reached out to me to produce a track for his new album and I was looking for an MC to tell their story of fatherhood. He was the perfect man for the job. Grime, especially within the MC world is perceived as being this very “Macho” scene. I wanted to present an alternate take on masculinity.
03. Lost Touch (ft. Duval Timothy)
I have been friends with Duval since I was about 8 years old, he is inspirational person. A talented pianist, artist, author and whatever else he puts his hand to. We created this song in one afternoon, the track title reflects not only my relationship with him but with many other friends who I have known for just as long. My family and music life often come first leaving me to neglect my old friendships, I don’t see him or the others anywhere near as much as I would like to but this track is a reflection of our bond, even if we have “lost touch.”
04. Fate (ft. Denai Moore)
I wanted to work with Denai ever since I heard on on Sbtrkt’s “The Light.” Her voice is so distinctive and full of emotion. Luckily I got the opportunity to remix her a couple years back and used it as a way to start a relationship. She brought exactly what I wanted to the track. I wanted her perspective on relationships and in her words.
05. If I Wanted
My favorite instrumental from the album. I feel like I’m underwater when I listen to this. One of the places where I’m most at peace.
06. VPN (ft. Palmistry)
Palmistry was almost on Parallel Memories, he was going to vocal “Feel (Don’t Ask),” but we couldn’t make the deadlines. We kept in touch, and I made this track that I thought was perfect for him. In his words “songs just about moving very far away but more in ur heart n head as distance isn’t such a big issue with communication these days etc but literally being really far away too and being on the road a lot etc.”
07. My Life
My partner was pregnant at the time of recording this so emotions were very high and thoughts of fatherhood were very apparent. This is a chant to my family, a declaration of my devotion.
08. Pleasure (ft. Py)
I’ve been working with Py on different bits of music over the past few years, nothing that really fit our own projects. I sent over the instrumental for “Pleasure,” as I knew her voice was what it needed. It’s potentially the most minimal track on the album, and I don’t know if it would have worked as well with any other singer. Her voice almost feels as if its the same texture as the rest of the track.
09. Honor Oak
A tribute to one of my favorite areas in London. I have a lot of emotional ties in Honor Oak Park. I spent a lot my time here as a kid, and it’s one of the greener areas in London.
10. Our Love
A conversation with my partner. Remembering the birth of our first son, the initial fear that I felt. When you’re first handed your new born child and realize the responsibility, it overwhelms you. “Somebody teach me how to nurture the man in him.”
11. Black Tide
A song with no implicit meaning, only feeling. A black tide in a colorful world.
12. Oscar
A message to Oscar inside the womb.
More about: Mr. Mitch
