Tricia sounds like another Mitchell of whom I am a fan: Joni. While Tricia's song structures are not as complicated as Joni can be I hear the same amount of intelligence in the lyrics; very cleverly crafted in that each song tells a clear story. I love the simplicity of the songs. It is very refreshing.

The spark and originality of a great writer coming into her own is immediately apparent and consistent through this Texas debut. We became aware of Tricia Mitchell in our interview this month with Sara Hickman, who covered two Tricia co-writes on "Motherlode." Stylistically, "Purple Room" is unabashedly all over the place, but not without the charms of eclecticism. I love the tune "Learn You Like A Book," written with producer Colin Boyd. His playing is not exactly my cup of tea, nor is the sonic atmosphere of the record--much of it sounds like it was recorded on a multi-track cassette in somebody's house, by people with very good songs who play pretty good. Many find that kind of thing endearing, I'm just not usually one of them. Nonetheless, the open-faced allure of Tricia Mitchell is indeed revealed, and the artist and producer get kudos for that. Besides "Learn You Like A Book," the other tune that Sara Hickman covered, "Twenty Years To Life" (co-written with the mighty talented Monte Warden, veteran of many cuts including the George Strait hit "Desperately," and several records with the seminal alt-country group The Wagoneers), gets an excellent read here. Another noteworthy departure from that grave tune is "Girlfriend Of The Band." Milo Deering contributes some very spirited tracks on pedal steel, violin, and mandolin; his pedal steel appearances on "Bobby Joe Plays The Violin" and "Lilly's Verses" bring a new ambience to the sessions. Tricia Mitchell is curiously self-assured on this debut, and sounds vocally like she has several records under her belt. She's in full possession of her songs, and her delivery is very present. All fans of good songwriting should pick this record up and catch the rise of a new voice. This songwriter is going places.

The girl powrrr precociousness displayed on assertive opener “For This” gives way to a wealth of styles and moods. Tricia Mitchell’s not afraid to tackle Texas country (“Bobby Joe Plays Violin” and “Never Say I Do”), though the Houston native really excels at new wave power pop (“Valerie,” “Learn You Like A Book,” or what could have been a fine Blondie B-side, “Crybaby”). Produced by Colin Boyd, who also supplies guitar, bass and harmony vocals, Mitchell’s heart seems to reside with a singer-songwriter ethic, though when she gets too personal things get shaky. Her tale of spousal abuse “Twenty Years to Life,” which earns points for descriptions of physical pain but misses the mark emotionally, is a prime example of a song that doesn’t work despite hard won integrity. "Purple Room" is an album of self-expression (many songs were recorded in a purple room of her South Texas home) that proves some of the most unexpected surprises can come from just about anywhere.

I loved Tricia Mitchell’s Purple Room on the first listen. I loved it even more on the second listen. The singer, the songwriting, the whole of it is an incredible journey to a place peopled with the hopeless, the hopelessly optimistic, and every sort of character in between.