Young Man In America

This is a great album.

Anäis' new masterwork is just simply that, a masterwork. Don't hesitate in adding this truly impeccable album to your library. I have listened to this cd too many times to count and have shown it to other fellow musicians and music producers and we all are absolutely dumbfounded by her sensibility and detailed musicianship. Bravo Anäis for yet another triumph in your musical career. Can't wait for your next endeavor.

Great album. For some reason parts remind me of older Emmylou Harris.

Stunning, unique, deep, haunting, mythical ~ gorgeous harmonies ~ Anais Mitchell is a remarkable writer, musician, vocalist. Words fall short praising this beautiful and timely music ~ thank you Anais and accompanying musicians ~ an American musical masterpiece!

I've been following Anais Mitchell's career for awhile. I have a great fondness for her early work, but I feel like with Hadestown and and now Young Man in America that she has moved to a new level. Her voice is so unique that I do not think it is very helpful to compare her to others. She is a unique voice, a skilled song writer and arranger, and a force behind compelling collaborations. I've been listening to Young Man in America non-stop for several days now and keep finding new subtleties to the lyrics and the music.

Yet another beautiful album by Anais! This album has become an instant favorite and will surely remain so for quite some time. How she manages to be both simple and so profound at the same time is truly beyond me. Any fan, new or old, will find this album a joy to listen to.

The latest effort of Anais Mitchell is just that. A beauty. I will admit i was already a fan of Mitchell's before Young Man...this release just solidifies my role as a huge fan of Ms Mitchell's work. From the opening bar of the first track, Wilderland to the last note of Ships, i am taken on a journey through the history of America and those that have inhabited. With Mitchell, it's not just the narrative of her exquisite lyrics, the control and emotion in her girly-toned voice, or even the amazing musicianship and production, but the integration of all of the above that make this record so special. I will be listening to this record for a long time to come on repeat...picking a few tracks as favorites seems almost silly because each track is a gem, but if I had to choose my top 5, here they are: 1. Shepherd: This tale of regret, about a shepherd and the loss of his wife in labor hits me with feelings of loss every time i hear it. It has been on repeat on my playlist since its release two weeks before the album was released. This song pulls at your heart in its simplicity. 2. Coming Down: This is track hits me from a strictly emotional level. Not many lyrics to interpret, but the few words sung bring a feeling of longing, nostalgia, regret, and hope. Mitchell's voice over the soft and simple piano line opens this track until the magical moment when the guitar sneaks in with a few horns. A poignant moment in this 11 track journey. 3. Young Man In America: The second track of this record has a dark fierceness to it. From the first line to the last, a picture of the waving fields of the prairie and small prairie towns in the west fill my head. I cannot help but let this one take over my body. 4. Tailor: This is a song of self-worth, of a woman finding herself outside of the view of a man...on her own now. Who am I? she asks in the end. Well, to me, in the end, the lyrics suggest she can be whoever she wants to be. 5. He Did: Once the groove of this track sets in for me at the 45 second mark i am entranced. I'm not even sure what it is about this track that gets me yet, but it does. Here's to Anais Mitchell. Cheers for making a record that i will always find myself coming back to...i can already tell. It has had that effect on me already. I hope you give it a chance to effect you as well...

Anais has yet again written gorgeous, artistic, beautiful, and creative songs. The lyrics on this album are fantastic and the concept is awesome, but it's a little overproduced for me. I prefer her live versions of these songs (probably because I saw them all first in concert). On this album the songs are sped up and there are a lot of background vocals and additional instruments (drums, accordion, piano, bass, etc) . Overall, I would definitely purchase it, it's a great record, but try to see Anais live, because she's incredible.

Simply stunning. With the care and gentle, intelligent lyricism of her first two releases, and instilled with the vigor and complexity of Hadestown, Young Man in America is absolutely a must-have album from 2012.