“Shadows” shows Ryan Mitchell as a master at exploring the pains of bad relationships, the hurt they cause, and their inevitability. He does this succinctly. The genre mashups that result out of his mind are executed flawlessly. Many of these are rather hard to pull off, and the production alongside his ear for melody presents some strong hooks. Lyrics lead the way, for a theme ties the whole adventure into a singular narrative. By making each song build off the last, it has a cyclical sensibility that feels particularly vivid.
Piano chords reverberate on the heavy opener “The Raven.” From the sharp percussion to the literary illusions that float through, he embodies a cloudy day kind of gaze. He brings a dream pop sensibility to the defiant attitude of “Bulletproof,”as the song has consistency. A fire exists within the very core of his voice as he’s almost pleading at times, yet at other moments above it all. Slightmachine whirring goes hand in hand with the stark realities of “Black Roses”. “A Fuck You Song” features pure confrontation, by far the highlight of the EP and the cathartic release needed. Veering wildly, the swinging groove and giddy melody addto its sense of purpose. In “Fatal Distraction,” things get wrapped up cleverly, for the verses seemingly draw from all that came before, as there is a recovery occurring within it.
Ryan Mitchell delivers something straight from his soul on “Shadows.”