This is not the kind of song I like. I have a problem with the contrived singing voice that Lisa Mitchell, like many other singers nowadays, adopts. It reminds me of that silly baby voice that people put on around young children, a vocal style that would sound ridiculous if used in everyday conversation. And I’m generally not a fan of solo artists in the first place; I don’t generally listen to music for the vocals, and often solo artists make the music about the vocals, with the instrumentation a distant second.

…I’m not sure what it is that I like so much about “Bless This Mess,” then.

Is it the way the vocals are initially prominent, but end up just another important element of the song, among rather than above the guitars?

Is it the catchy, rushing chorus, reminiscent of the escapist Kate Bush classic “Running Up That Hill”?

Is it something intangible, inexplicable?

I can’t put my finger on it. All I know is that I get that thrill, that rush of enjoyment when the song begins, or its first glorious chorus. The song has won me over … just don’t expect me to start liking Julia Stone.