Recorded in Arizona with Calexico's Joey Burns producing, Amos Lee's fourth studio album, 2011's Mission Bell, finds the singer/songwriter in a thoughtful mood and once again wrapping his soulful folk numbers in country, blues, and soft rock. A ruminative, lazy summer day of an album, Mission Bell is not dissimilar to Lee's last effort, 2008's Last Days at the Lodge, but lacks the more contemporary R&B tracks that made Last Days a bit of a departure from Lee's more granola leanings. Here listeners get the introspective leadoff track "El Camino" and the airy Steve Winwood-sounding ballad "Violin." Similarly engaging is the jaunty mid-album anthem "Flower," which is equal parts the Commodores' "Easy" and Hall & Oates' "She's Gone." It's a brilliant, joyously melodic number with the only downside being that it only works to remind you how melodically dire the rest of the album is. Which isn't to say Mission Bell is bad. On the contrary, there is a lot to admire here and maybe that's the main problem. Lee is a talented songwriter with a distinctive pop voice who is becoming recognized as an heir to the American singer/songwriter throne -- a notion given weight by the addition of several well-known guest artists here, including roots rocker Lucinda Williams and country legend Willie Nelson. That said, he often favors rambling, low-key country numbers that get you to quietly consider the bittersweet nature of our existence rather than lose yourself in the song. You come off a track like "Flower" and keep waiting for another one to grab you in the same "instant classic" kind of way. If Mission Bell rings true, it's in the lyrics with Lee's knack for stories and personal revelations keeping you listening, and not always the melodic content.

Mission Bell

Learned A Lot

“Hej då” (Goodbye) is a fun, melodic Swedish folk rock anthem made for sing-alongs, laughter, and late-night cheers. Blending acoustic warmth with rock energy and live pub ambience, it captures the spirit of Halloween with a wink and a toast — a song to raise your glass and shout “Skål!” together. 🍻

👉 Promo: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/johnaismith/hej-d

Lyrics:

"Ännu en natt... samma gata... samma krog... Skål då."

Pumporna lyser, samma som förr
Jag orkar inte bry mig mer om nåt som stör
Tog en öl för att bli varm
Nu tar jag tre till – skål, min arm

Hej då, hej då – till allt som är svårt
Livet blir enklare när man har gått
Hej då, hej då – jag bryr mig ändå
Sjung med mig nu, skål min bro!

Grannen klär sig som vampyr
Hon säger “boo”, jag säger “dyrt”
Hon frågar “vill du dansa med mig?”
Jag säger “nej tack, har redan mig”

Hej då, hej då – till allt som är svårt
Livet blir enklare när man har gått
Hej då, hej då – jag bryr mig ändå
Sjung med mig nu, skål min bro!

Imorgon kanske jag mår skit
Men det får bli dåtidens nit
Ikväll ska jag bara va’
Lite dum, lite glad, lite bra

Hej då, hej då – jag orkar inte mer
Alla spöken får ta det som sker
Hej då, hej då – jag går nu ändå
Full på Halloween, så det så

Hej då, hej då – jag orkar inte mer
Alla spöken får ta det som sker
Hej då, hej då – jag går nu ändå

Alla spöken får ta det som sker
Alla spöken får ta det som sker
Hej då, hej då – jag går nu ändå
Full på Halloween, så det så

Skåååål

Learned A Lot

AmosLee