Lael Neale - Acquainted with Night Review
Lael has created an album that demands to be listened to in its entirety, truly a bard of the modern age. As she eloquently sings: “Well, some will say the truth springs, For reservoir seekers, But I think the truth sings to whoever listens”.
Acquainted With Night by Lael Neale was released on Sub Pop Records on 23rd February. She has excelled in making an album that is so decidedly different to any of her contemporaries, both in the approach taken to the recordings – undertaken via a 4-track and microphone, set up in her bedroom, and played back via a ghetto blaster – and the sparseness of the tracks, in instrumental content and arrangement. They are uncomplicated, minimalistic, and do not necessarily follow the usual verse-bridge-chorus formula. The pre-programmed drumbeats are steady and repetitive, allowing the listener to be drawn in, as opposed to proving a distraction. The exception is 'Blue Vein’ — by far the most notable nod to her native Virginia-blues roots, on which she plays guitar; it is very much the Omnichord (an almost harp/keyboard hybrid) which can create a church organ-like sound, evoking an air of divinity that has been used to weave a backdrop, whilst her ethereal vocals actually provide the substance and body to the songs, like an additional instrument, to extraordinary effect. Add Guy Blakeslee’s nurturing and intuitive production and this has resulted in an album of amaranthine beauty and, most importantly, an authentic representation of the type of music her soul longed to make.
The songs themselves are lush, intimate and melodious, managing to feel familiar yet at the same time brand new. The aforementioned recording process has left a lovely element of white noise: a rich, warm crackling fingerprint in each song, adding another tangible layer of nostalgia.
Lyrically, the album explores a vast array of themes. She moves effortlessly throughout the soundscape, playing the parts of observer, traveller, friend, lover and prophet. Her songwriting is poignant, with rhythms and structure heavily influenced by poetry. Her lyrics are enriched with empathy, making them deeply accessible: “Talking to the man at the cash machine, I work in service too, so I feel for you.” They are also peppered with contemplation, pondering, and vulnerability, like she is baring her soul whilst directing questions and frustrations inwards. "Why can’t I have some fun?” “Why can’t I love someone?”
We also bear witness to worldly tasks: making toast, folding sheets, driving, and observing interactions between strangers find a common ground with heavenly and angelic references, solitude, and mortality in the lyrics. For example, ‘Third Floor Window’: “The only stranger is yourself”; ‘Every Star Shivers In The Dark’: “I might be leaving you, because I am a pilgrim too”; and “How far is it to the end? It’s only a life, dear friend, dear friend”. She sings, in ‘How Far To The Grave’ and in ‘Blue Vein’, “Keep them all safe, 'Til I come to my cross.” In stark contrast, ‘Let Me Live By The Side Of The Road’ is a joyful, compassionate ode to humanity, a celebration of selflessness, only wanting to nurture and simply give, “Let me live by the side of the road, and be a friend to man.” This sense of humanity is also touched upon earlier in the album, in ‘Every Star Shivers In The Dark’. “At the Alameda street-sidе prison tower, A man pressed his hand on thе window, I waved a little while, I waved a little while.”
Lael has previously discussed the album name and process of recording with me, explaining how work commitments meant she had to work on the songs at night, with magnificent sunsets and the dusk chorus of the birds creating what she exquisitely described as “the magic hour”. This has certainly culminated in a residual energy infused into these songs, most notably on ‘Sliding Doors & Late Summer Roses’ and the title track. “The birds made the sky bid farewell, They went somewhere unknown. Shadows move slowly, I know that you know me, As one who was made for the light, But if I could show you, I can unfold to, Become acquainted with night.”
Lael had told me how she felt Sub Pop had taken quite the gamble on signing her, feeling that she is virtually unknown. But, like them, I too believe there is a great deal of solace to be found within this LP; for, although tinged with melancholy, there are also bursts of pure unadulterated joy and an unyielding feeling of hope. I fully anticipate Acquainted With Night will be included in many album round-ups at the end of this year.
No individual track stands out more than another; they are all expertly crafted and the whole thing flows beautifully. Lael has created an album that demands it be listened to in its entirety, truly a bard of the modern age. As she eloquently sings: “Well, some will say the truth springs, For reservoir seekers, But I think the truth sings To whoever listens”.
Amen to that Lael.