Album Review: Mitts – More or Less

There is something decidedly and determinedly off-centre about the winsome indie-Americana tones of More or Less that makes it easy to love.

It’s hard to take on board that this is the debut album from Texas-based songwriter Mitts, such is the comfortable and fluid nature of the vocals and easygoing melodies of its eleven songs. Mitts recorded the album in San Antonio, with help from his friends and musical collaborators Bill Baird (Sound Team, Heavy Meddo) and Dillon Ocon (D.R.O.).

There’s not a weak song on More or Less, though some are growers, and others hit you emotionally right from their first listen. In the latter category, the broken-hearted Americana of Baby Brother really stands out, as does Something True, both of which could easily be conceived as numbers from a long-lost album by The Allman Brothers Band or The Beach Boys, full of harmony and pain.

Emotions play a large part in the lyrics, as Mitts recounts a period of his life that he says was “punctuated by death, birth, loss, and recovery.” It places the album not as a process of catharsis but more as a reflection on those experiences, with the distance of time allowing him to compose his thoughts and feelings in a way that he can share with the listener.

It’s rather easy to lose yourself in the lyrics, especially when it comes to Waiting Room, which matches very visual concepts with a sparse, finger-plucked guitar, as wordless harmonies float in the background. It reminded me of Blackbird – it could be a love song, or something more – or it could just be what the words are relaying to you.

The album isn’t without humour – Mockingbird, $2 Bill, and My Enchilada come off as songs to be enjoyed, songs to be listened to communally, as if shooting the breeze with old friends. They remind us that, even in difficult times, there is often room for life and laughter.

Mitts draws the album to a close with Here Everything’s Better, and here, the album’s themes find a shared space. Faith, love, and loss are expressed in a song that matches 60s rock and folk with a Beck-like twist on Americana that is moving and memorable. This is one of those records that’ll move you out of your comfort zone, for sure.

The lyrics reflect much of my own experience over the last few years – health and hospital rooms, coming to terms, and the recognition that mortality has no exemption clause for me or those I love. And that makes this a treasure trove for those of us trying to find our way forward without someone we loved dearly.

More or Less was released on the 27th of March, 2026, and can be picked up in digital and vinyl formats on Bandcamp. The album can also be streamed on Spotify – for artist and album news, check out Mitts on Instagram.

The album is dedicated to the memory of Sam Mitts