After cracking the Top 40 with Last Days at the Lodge, Amos Lee enlisted some of his most famous fans to appear on a follow-up effort. The resulting Mission Bell features appearances by the likes of Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, and Iron & Wine's Sam Beam, all of whom contribute to the album's blend of folk, acoustic soul, and jazz.
Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.74) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he standouts on his chart-topping fourth album -- cut with Joey Burns of Western-mystic indie rockers Calexico providing moody backup -- are the cameo tracks." Entertainment Weekly (p.83) - "[H]is soulful singing charms throughout." -- Grade: B- Billboard (p.28) - "It's the new sounds that really give this gentle genius a genuine 'Bell' ringer of a fourth album." Mojo (Publisher) (p.96) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "His lyrics sweat with detail and nervy experience....He's moved house from well-made folk-country to heartfelt soul..." Paste (magazine) - "['Violin'] is unsurprisingly, the album's clear highlight: a swelling, sweeping slow-burner with wide-screen atmosphere, angelic harmonies and pedal steel aching over modest acoustic strums."