by olivia powell
Mitch Rowland’s sophomore album Whistling Pie is a timeless testament to dichotomies. It’s a cohesive patchwork of sentiments, mostly those that inevitably come along with being a father and husband in an ever-evolving life, all sewn together to form a vignette of his story. His first album Come June successfully achieved the goal of any debut album, setting the stage for who Mitch Rowland is apart from being Harry Styles’ guitarist (a standout one at that). Now, time has gone on and time itself is the thing to treasure. It could easily be made frenetic, but instead takes on a rather contemplative and self-aware energy. The album begins with “Cabin,” an instrumental piece of tone-setting music, that leaves the words for track two. These moments without lyrics give the words he sings more weight. Each word sounds intentional and rife with meaning. It’s contemplative, even when expressing contrasting feelings.
The influence of artists like Elliot Smith is apparent on whispered, close-mic’d songs like “One In One Out,” and “Honeybabe.” The former track establishes a sonic tension that exists through the album. Rowland’s occasional use of lilting vocals creates a sense of unpredictability mirrored in the lyrics themselves; lines like “moldy apple of my eye” are an unexpected twist on a sweet cliché. Often ambiguous, the interpretation is somewhat open. On “Take 2” and “You Could (Be Good)” the lyrics from the previous song “you can do anything,” become “you can be anything” on the latter, in an ode to family and his wife. It has the softness of a Jack Johnson song, with guitar riffs that brightly sound like a call-and-response.
There often seem to be two ways to interpret one song. “Nothing Is True” may seem titled to reflect some kind of despair, but by the song’s conclusion, the phrase sounds more like a mantra. It’s a suitable example of the album’s theme, which is one of making peace or at least comfort with the way things are. The songs themselves are comforting, fitting for the countryside where they were created. Though it could be best described as a folk album, there are surprises in store. The use of a drum machine on “Do It For Real” adds a DIY texture to the song. Instrumental interlude “Carrot & Wine” features a reversed guitar, brief enough to pique interest and short enough to segue from the previous track. The local grocery mart that inspired the track’s title is a wholesome reference for his family.
The psychedelic rock edge that Harry Styles fans have come to love on songs like Styles’ “She” (Rowland solos) makes an appearance in folk form on “Take Two,” then again in full-force on “Carry On With Your Tea.” Starting off soft as a lullaby, the guitar soon strums in heavy. An electric guitar solo adds some grit, while building to the ending lyric, “it will all come back to me someday.” That sense of blues-guitar confidence continues on through “Honeybabe,” a nostalgic tune with a bit of quirky darkness reflected in the music video, wherein a mostly stone-faced Rowland witnesses a woman killing her cheating husband. It contains the same sure-footed storytelling as any classic country song. A steady beat anchors “Standard Size Knife" as the album’s closing track, which feels a bit like the end credits to a coming-of-age film. As the credits roll, a genuine glimpse of Rowland’s narrative has been shown to those who have listened. It ends sounding hopeful in saying “I try,” while simultaneously questioning “are we dying alone.” On Whistling Pie, Mitch Rowland has shared the things he’s still questioning, giving the rest over to time.