“Lovely and earnest indie pop,” as described by Chicago Deli Magazine, MICH is everything in this statement with a little more sensation.
Mich Shirley, lead songwriter, creator and guitarist, debuted the group’s EP,
Don’t Call, on October 28, 2021. The EP is most certainly a lovely project you may have missed in 2021. It’s a lovely arrangement of four tracks evoking intricate styles, textures, and tendencies resembling Mayer Hawthorne, H.E.R., John Legend, Nile Rodgers, and even Vince Guaraldi Trio. Guaraldi’s influence can be seen and heard by the group’s latest upload via SoundCloud, featuring a set of eight guitar-focused covers from A Charlie Brown Christmas.
There’s the delicate balance of comparing a new artist to someone more familiar or well-known to the listener. Shirley has an evident gift in delivering an incredible experience for listeners of
Don’t Call and
Guitar for Guaraldi, A Christmas Tribute. It could be the simple guitar inversion from “Craving,” like the Nile Rodgers we’ve heard over the last 30 years, or even the short brevity of each track’s story, reminiscent of The Beatles (quick and into the next).
Shirley incorporates various elements of bass, piano, and backup vocals, bringing immense depth beyond the surface of what you get in the EP’s length. Examples of this depth can be heard in the most minor details, such as the “wave sound” as if you were on a beach in “Waves” or the full orchestral sound of the piano keys at the end of “Craving.” Shirley’s voice and its complement to the bass groove also elevate everything off of the music sheet. Each time, there’s a new component to the songs that one can find even more fascinating than before.
MICH has an early recipe for success for any music listener in Chicago looking for a bright indie pop, lo-fi, and soul sensation. Even if THAT doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, give it a shot. There’s something great for the soul here, and maybe that’s what we need as we're into another year, 2022.
