Jefferson Hyll - Spirits

Jefferson Hyll

Spirits
self-released; 2024

​​​By ​Dino DiMuro 

Jefferson Hyll is a singer-songwriter with three previous albums under his belt. No stranger to the Pitch Perfect site, we know that his real name is Phillip E. Mitchell. He calls his music “ambient, alternative Americana” and even he realizes you’d have to go through some tricky contortions to achieve that! His fourth and latest release is called Spirits.

Hyll was the winner of the UK Songwriting Contest in 2021 (open category) with seven other songs placing in the finals. He also received a special mention in the International Songwriting Contest. His 2023 album Dark was rated “Top Album” by this very site. Hyll’s music is said contain echoes of Browne, Springsteen, Simon, Petty and many others. His 12 songs here explore grief, depression, newfound love and unanswerable philosophical questions. Recording, mixing and mastering took place at Hyll’s home studio in the mountains of Western North Carolina, with some guest appearances from artists in Baytown, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“Radial Days” (great title) starts us off with an uplifting band sound not far from Bruce, with a celebratory chorus similar to Tom Petty. Hyll has an immediately attractive voice, not exactly like anyone else but maybe in Jackson Browne’s neighborhood. Cade Roberts is credited with “additional guitar textures” (somebody is playing some wild electric melodies!) and background vocals are credited to Arden Ridgely, who appears to transform into a church choir before the end. Not finished yet, Hyll’s fade out recalls 60’s folk rock with its chants of “sha la la la la la.”

“Beautiful Place to Live” is a beautiful track that musically resembles Jackson Browne, with strings, acoustic piano, multiple overdubbed vocal harmonies and a guest guitar solo by Joel Davis. The mix is interesting, with some elements on the extremes of the stereo field. I love Hyll’s quick lyrical references to Rothko, Springsteen, Raphael, Mephistopheles and The Village Green. “God Plays Rock and Roll” is a fun title with a staccato melodic opening and an expansive arrangement for multiple guitars. The guest soloist this time is Cade Roberts. “Spirits” is the title track and again goes full-out almost from the start. For anyone else it might feel like bombast but Hyll’s voice is so expressive that he brings it all together, similar to Warren Zevon at his best (and some of those other Asylum Records artists too).

“The Last Song, Untitled” is a tricky song (it’s obviously not the last, and clearly has a title) and literally starts with what the movie industry calls a “sync pop” (what you hear when the movie leader hits “2”). Love the premise here, which is about the song you’d sing at the end of the world (literally your last song) and all the elements it might contain. I suspect Hyll’s song would be packed to the gills, as he’s done that here! Cade Roberts takes a joyous fuzz solo and Arden Ridgely again provides background vocals and harmonies. “One Voice, Anonymous” at least starts with a little air between the string samples and acoustic piano, leading into a song that’s a distant cousin to Browne’s “The Pretender.” I like to think this song calls out to lone indie musicians who feel anonymous, but of course “one voice” could stand for any single human who needs to be seen. “One voice, anonymous / you can make and keep your promises / you can be your only audience.” Great ending with Hyll’s voice playing by itself.

“Heroes” is not a cover of the Bowie classic, and in fact a more accurate title would be “All My Heroes Are Gone.” It works as both a tribute to whomever those heroes were, and a kind of mystical evocation of their spirits. Expect yet another track packed to overflowing with guitars, piano, strings and Hyll’s spot-on harmonies. By the end I’m ready to sign up, but for what exactly I can’t say! “Mr. Harrison (for Jim Harrison)” features a mellotron sound, really giving this track a late ‘60s feel. I don’t know who Mr. Harrison is (was?) but I have a feeling he’s another of Hyll’s heroes who’s now a spirit. “Tell me a story I won’t forget / Fill me with longing and regret / Talk of the horrible plight of the Native Americans, Mr. Harrison / I would ask where you are, but you’re here in my head.” I’m seriously getting choked up! “All This Light” concludes the album with piano and vocal only, an intimate and fitting coda paying tribute to “Works of art that breathe into the night / All this light” with the strong suggestion that loved ones themselves are works of art.

I haven’t mentioned every song but rest assured they are equally assured and enjoyable. Though Hyll was new to me I’m definitely now a fan. Check him out!

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