Reviewed by Andy Shaw

As a poet, songwriter, guitarist, performer and producer Robin Mitchell keeps himself very busy from his base in Bristol to his travels around the world. Musically he sticks to two distinctive styles with the electronic indie pop of his Featherweight Soul project and the more thoughtful and reflective folk released under the Robin Mitchell name. 'Dust' is a five-track EP written whilst on tour in China and aims to recreate an atmosphere of friends gathered by a winter fireside. The record starts with a country/bluegrass feel on the jaunty "When I'm Gone" with slide and finger style guitar but as the record progresses the mood gets more reflective and the instrumentation more fragile. Vocally, Mitchell's voice is wonderfully mellow and perfectly pitched with well blended female harmonies worked in through the record. The centre piece of the EP, and for me the highlight, is "Smoke Billows" with a softly picked acoustic guitar opening before being joined by cello and more guitar for the chorus. The vocals mimic the music with the fragility of the verse giving way to a strong chorus showing off an impressive range. An instrumental interlude follows before closer "Mirror" draws it all together drawing you in and whisking you away ("Listen for the perfect moment when the music is untainted"). The production is pitched perfectly to achieve that fireside sound, providing just enough polish without losing the delicate fragility of the acoustic instruments and vocals. Put this record on, close your eyes and let it transport you.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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