No matter how many times I listen to it, hearing the introductory chords to “Tailor” by Anaïs Mitchell is always like biting into oven-warm, homemade chocolate cake. There is decadent richness in the reverb on her acoustic guitar, warmth in the standup bass mirroring the guitar’s low notes, and comfort in the way the familiar-but-not-banal chord progression sounds so right.
I feel supported by these echoing major chords, lifted up from underneath, until Mitchell’s vocal begins. Underneath Mitchell’s voice, the dominant major chord becomes a seventh chord and the warm cocoon of the introduction suddenly slips away. Her unmistakable timbre is surprisingly breathy as she sings the dissonant high note along with the guitar. It introduces a hint of heartache; if the first chords evoke the warmth of childhood, the dissonant chord feels like looking back on it knowing you can’t return.
Mitchell’s voice is high, and it sounds almost childlike here. This quality simultaneously sparkles over the song’s melancholy and adds to its shroud of nostalgia. Mitchell sings of letting a lover create her self-image, of mourning when he leaves, and of wondering how to define herself in the remaining vacuum. It’s a gentle, honest, and heartbreaking story. Vocally, I can only compare her to some of the legendary ladies of folk and fountry like Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch, not because they all sound similar but because they all defy comparison. They are unrepeatable in their exquisite sadness.
Although Mitchell lilts softly over the first lines (“When he said…”), complementing the understated acoustic guitar, she does so with absolute surety. She makes her technically difficult descending lines sound totally effortless. The arrangement gains strength of sound for the first chorus (“And I sewed a party dress…”) by adding rich acoustic piano lines, wistful accordion, and subtle hi-hat percussion. Mitchell gains energy for her higher notes and joyfully swoops through many more technically demanding melodies. She can somehow convey the excitement of finding your first love and the visceral grief of losing them at the same time. Then, an accordion solo rips your heart in half.
Although it may be sound over-the-top at this point, she manages to get away with repeating tropes like the plaintive accordion because it feels so genuine. Her loose concept album, Young Man in America (2012), tells simple stories of the complicated bonds between parents and children, with a youthful photo of Mitchell’s father gracing the album cover. She released this album two years after her full-blown rock musical, Hadestown, and critics and fans immediately compared the two records. Hadestown, which recently finished an off-Broadway run, retells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice through the lens of the Great Recession. High-profile guests recorded as the different mythical characters, including Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) as Orpheus and Ani diFranco as Persephone. On Young Man in America, you can feel her grappling with many of the same issues of economic insecurity while dramatically paring down her production to tell her own story. Both albums are masterpieces in their own right, but the through-line of Mitchell’s voice and truthful storytelling are refreshing on Young Man in America after the beautiful chaos of the 2010 album.
The second verse of “Tailor” continues the tragic love story with the man saying he’s leaving. A low bass piano note underscores the darkness of the scene, before giving way to the mournful accordion and delicate piano floating over the top of Mitchell’s grief (“When he said that my face he’d soon forget, I became a poet.”) After the second chorus, the instrumentation pares down to guitar (“Now that he’s gone away…”), and this sudden absence reflects the gaping hole he leaves in her life. When reaching back to childhood for any trace of her identity, she asks, “Didn’t I gleam in my father’s eye?” And the first line of electric guitar gleams along with her.
It’s fitting that the last vocation Mitchell is called to in “Tailor” is to be “a poet.” She is an incredible poet and storyteller, and ultimately that’s what makes the song so affecting. In the midst of an album about parents and children, Mitchell sings of a kind of romantic love that can push your parents over in your heart a little bit as you grow older. Some of us can probably relate; it’s intoxicating. But what happens when you’ve left your parents’ protection, the new center of your universe leaves, and you’re forced to face yourself as an individual, alone? In her poetry, the sadness of this man leaving her entwines with the sadness of growing up to form a profound loss: the loss of her sense of self. The grace of Mitchell’s composition and poetry make me long to listen to “Tailor,” but I always know it will hurt a little to listen, too.
———-
Please find below an amazing acoustic concert by Mitchell for NPR’s Tiny Desk series! Note that the version of “Tailor” she plays here is NOT THE SAME as the studio version I reviewed, but it will give you an idea. Or do yourself a favor and buy the album. #boosters
366 Comments
Linnea,
This is such a beautiful piece! You give such rich descriptions of the musicality, the lyricism, the artist’s history, and so much more. I can feel second-hand the emotion you describe, something that doesn’t often happen within a piece of criticism that also contains so much pertinent information. Part of me wishes there were at least some critique; however, as I read through the piece, I see you struggling to find something negative to grab hold of. The accordion could’ve been her downfall, but she makes it sound genuine; therefore, I believe you 100% as a reliable critic. Incredible work!
Linnea, this is a truly captivating piece that goes beyond mere criticism. Your rich and evocative descriptions transport the reader into the experience of the music, allowing us to feel the “musicality” and “lyricism” firsthand.
The way you weave in the artist’s history adds depth and context, giving us a well-rounded understanding of the art form. It’s truly remarkable how you manage to evoke emotions through your writing, creating a second-hand experience for the reader.
While acknowledging the usual presence of critique in critical pieces, it is refreshing to see your honest struggle to find negativity. The fact that the accordion, a potential point of concern, is ultimately embraced as “genuine” speaks volumes about the artist’s mastery and your critical discernment. This approach fosters trustworthiness and authenticity, establishing you as a reliable critic who values genuine expression over forced negativity.
Overall, your work transcends criticism and becomes a celebration of artistic expression. It’s a beautiful testament to the power of language to evoke emotions and connect readers to the essence of art.
khalidelarbi
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Linnea — Nice essay of deep appreciation. I notice three things that you effectively focus on: the timbre of Mitchell’s voice, which is of a kind of country/folk tradition of female vocals (I hear a lot of Nanci Griffith in there); the smart arrangements of music (nice musical analysis of chordal arrangements and choices); and finally a bit of the reception of the music, why it matters, how it affects you emotionally and intellectually. I think it’s fine piece. Here’s a model to compare to (not better than yours just in the same vein and therefore useful for you to compare: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/twenty-years-of-listening-to-gillian-welch.
This is really nice. Thank you. Do you also play piano and have articles on piano learning. It would really help if you could share some. Also as a beginner which instrument would you recommend learning for adults? Can online resources like https://musicgny.com/piano-for-all-review/ and others available help beginner adults in learning? How did you learn to play?
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