- In a review of his debut EP for Planet Mu, Angus Finlayson said that Miles Mitchell, AKA Mr. Mitch, transcended the grime scene the same way that Vex'd and Pinch did with dubstep on the same label in the '00s. It's an apt comparison, at least in theory: throughout Parallel Memories, his debut album, Mitchell slows grime to a crawl and replaces its frenzied attack with the steady repetition of just a few elements. It's a promising formula, but pulling it off requires rock solid composition—something Mitchell doesn't always have a firm hold of.
In its best moments, Parallel Memories has a lovely, lullaby-ish sweetness we don't typically associate with London grime. "Hot Air" is wonderfully wispy, with quiet synths that dissipate into a powdery reverb chamber. "Wandering Glaciers" crawls along with just enough melody to keep your attention, as if it were meant to merely tease. There's an endearing music-box quality to "It Takes Hold Of You," and Mitchell's rework of Dark0's "Sweet Boy Code" is one of the prettiest tunes to come out of the Boxed camp, though that one also features periodic vocal gasps, a device that becomes a problem elsewhere on the album. Sampling little snippets of R&B can add a lot to a giddy rhythm, but on Parallel Memories they crack the gorgeous facade of tracks like "Don't Leave" and "Denial" to the point of distraction.
In a way, it feels like Mitchell is tip-toeing all the through Parallel Memories. "Feel Don't Ask" and "It Takes Hold Of You" have all the elements of slamming grime tunes, but spaced out to a slow-faucet drip. This is interesting in its own way, but as Parallel Memories goes on, it begins to feel like Mitchell hasn't done much to his formula aside from slowing it down. He's an excellent producer with an unusual ear for melody, so it's a nice effect at first. But for something as weighty as a debut album from a hotly-tipped artist, Parallel Memories feels a little too light for its own good.
Tracklist01. Afternoon After
02. The Night
03. Intense Faces
04. Don’t Leave
05. It Takes Hold Of You
06. Sweet Boy Code feat. Dark0
07. Wandering Glaciers
08. Feel (Don’t Ask)
09. Bullion
10. Denial
11. Fly Soup
12. Hot Air