The Mitchell Trio - Typical American Boys (1965/2019)

Though the liner notes talk gamely about the band as a political force, the Mitchell Trio's moment had passed and they seemed to know it. It might have had something to do with Chad Mitchell's imminent departure from the group, but Typical American Boys lacks the force and wit of their previous release, The Slightly Irreverent Mitchell Trio. Several of the songs on this disc, such as "Natural Girl for Me" and "My Name Is Morgan," are overtly nostalgic for older and more predictable times. The socially conscious material is there, but performed in a style that blunts the sharp commentary of the lyrics. Only "Which Hat Shall I Wear" and Dylan's "With God on Our Side" have arrangements that fit the lyrics and add to their impact. At several decades' distance, it's a pretty but uninvolving record, listenable but far from their best.