Austin Chronicle Review

Purple Room (Pigtail) * Tricia Mitchell

Tricia Mitchell’s songs feel familiar in their soft country-folk settings (“Lilly’s Verses,” “For This”), but they bear a lyrical sharpness at once clever and provocative (“Bobby Joe Plays Violin”) and even laugh-out-loud witty (“Girlfriend of the Band”). One of Mitchell’s literary tricks is a flat resolution in her storytelling: “Twenty Years to Life” spins the tale of an abused woman who kills her husband and yet mourns his death. Mitchell also fires off fine rock (“Crybaby,” “Valerie”) and Texas-flavored twang (“Never Say ‘I Do'”).   — Margaret Moser

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PureMusic.com Review

Purple Room * Tricia Mitchell

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 Sarah 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 Sarah 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.  — Frank Goodman

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Pop Culture Press Review

Purple Room * Tricia Mitchell

“The girl power 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.  — David Pyndus