Album Review: Mitch Rossell 'Raised By The Radio'

In 2014, singer-songwriter Mitch Rossell released I Got Dressed Up For This, a collection of twelve songs that introduced many to his strong songwriting and earned him a spot on Huffington Post’s “Top 20 Country Artists To Watch” list for 2016. On July 22nd, Rossell released his new album, Raised By The Radio which once again showcases his astute and thoughtful songwriting (sharpened even further) on eight well-crafted tracks that offer fresh perspectives on themes of love, life, and heartbreak.

Co-produced with his friend and mentor, Garth Brooks, Raised By The Radio, opens with the pulsating electric guitar riffs and instantly infectious melody of “All About Me” (which will immediately call to mind Keith Urban), a song that describes a man who was admittedly selfish and prideful with high emotional walls - until he met someone special. “It was my way and if you didn’t like it there’s the highway/Swore there’d never come a day when I changed but here I am breaking all the rules.” A similar theme continues on “Any Girl,” a charming, cleverly written ballad about the one who stole his heart and changed his ways, “I’m never gonna change my ways for any girl/Yeah I swear I’ll never fall too far for any girl/But you’re not any girl.”, while a sense of gratitude can be felt on “Sent From Heaven” a mid-tempo ode to the angel sent to “love the hell” out of a man whose demons run deep.

Also included on the album are two tracks co-written alongside Ben Stennis that tap into a more melancholy side, “Not Enough” and “Why I Drink.” The former is a banjo-accented song that finds him recalling a relationship, now over, where her love for him, and his ability to move on, are both inadequate. The latter, with its contemporary, stirring melody, relates why he drinks – and it might not be why you think. “I miss the taste of her lips so much/that’s why I drink, that’s why I drink this stuff.” 

Raised by The Radio is rounded out by the radio-ready title track that is brimming with musical references and lyrics that tie together and demonstrate the impact music has had on his life and “The Rain” an uplifting, earnest ballad that expresses gratitude and hope, ending with the sound of a storm that feels more refreshing than ominous. “Cursing these clouds won’t do me no good….I know that these gray skies gonna turn blue/It’ll stop hurting the sun will shine through/But for now I’m thankful for this hurricane/Everybody knows nothing grows without the rain.”

Currently supporting Brooks on select dates, Rossell is winning over crowds nightly with his passionate performances and ability to capture the listener’s ear with his relatable songwriting. And with that sort of momentum, it’s only a matter of time before Rossell captures the attention of, and makes his mark on, country radio.

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