Reviews
Artist:Matthew O'Neill Album: Ancestors Wheel
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 13
Website: https://matthew-oneill.com/
Matthew O'Neill's upcoming album 'Ancestors Wheel' takes us on an other-wordly walk that reflects the awe of the Topanga mountains in which the album was written. O'Neill is based in the Catskill mountains of state New York. His music and work drive a powerful emphasis on celebrating indigenous methods and maintaining a holistic recognition of humanity and all life. 'Ancestors Wheel' is an album that almost feels impossible to place without diving into its atmosphere- for it's a sound based on essence rather than material. It presents us with a psychedelic, musical drunkenness that feels so uniquely human. More like the memory of a song being played back to us rather than the song itself- creating a distance that remains emotionally intrinsic. Whilst this may sound absurd, it feels too in keeping with the album's themes and title to be by accident- as it reflects on the past and life's cycle.
'Ancestors Wheel' features guitars, bass, flutes, piano and drums, as well as synthesisers. The album has a beautifully universal approach that compromises modern man-made instrumentation with the rawness of classic acoustics- a cosmic methodology reminiscent of bands such as Pink Floyd, Sigur Rós and Son Lux. O'Neill's broken and yearning vocals consistently stand-out throughout the album, offering a whimsical, psychedelic edge that meshes with the synthetic elements of the music but also forms a haunting vulnerability within itself.
O'Neill's opening track 'We'll Miss You' features gentle, swaying drums (Toby Williams) and guitar (Billy Fiorella). This song, like much of the album's instrumentation, is quite cyclical in nature- the cyclical elements feel deliberate in this 'Wheel'. It's ultimately the sounds of the synth that carry the song's momentum and add the extra emotion. O'Neill's almost pleading vocals remain distorted and dreamlike. The track is immediately followed by the more forceful guitar of 'Disagreement'- the opening guitar picking offering a heavy latin feel. The dark moodiness of the chorus infects the rest of the song as it builds to the electric guitar at the very end. Again, a cyclical rhythmic pattern from the drums and guitar throughout the verses, but with a greater forcefulness. The introduction of the second guitar brings us back to some of the latin influences and carries us through a building instrumental before we're slammed again into the moodiness of the chorus. A song that packs an understated punch.
The album's piano really comes into play with its third track, 'Only a Walk'. The sweet gentle piano we hear at the start feels eerily disjointed from the chorus' vocals with the broodiness of the composition and its heavy minor switch. A song that feels like it's leading you along an illusory cliff-edge- calm and beautiful but with an element of suspense. The almost existential lyrics alongside the psychedelic drawl of the instrumentation creates a personal yet dissociated feel; something that feels both intrinsic and distant; transcendent yet grounded.
Conversely, songs such as 'Hold Me Close' and 'We are Strong' bring us greater sonic chaos, the guitars and drums and swirling vocals mixing and rising and falling like a rock descending down a mountain-edge. When experiencing this album and understanding its roots, it is hard not to perceive even the most synthetic moments as related to some movement in nature. The full album presents us with an almost alien language; a universal expanse that somehow makes you feel closer to our natural world.
O'Neill's work and 'Ancestors Wheel' itself can't be discussed without important reference to its indigenous and decolonisation themes. Its fifth track 'Akwesasne' is named after a Mohawk Nation territory, a territory existing as its own location and community whilst stretching across the border from North America into southern Canada. This is a song full of overwhelming sensitivity, awe and vulnerability. O'Neill strives to live and breathe teachings from an array of native communities, and weaves these worldviews and musical approaches into his songs and albums. He puts an emphasis on "musical reciprocity" and connection, using his platform to amplify indigenous ways and voices, showing that we are ultimately all one. The lyrical themes and imagery, and even the immersive instrumental track 'Infinite', contain an empathy and wonder that always come back to Mother Earth as well as our ultimate humanity.
This is an album that can be so subtle in its musical changes that it feels as though it's reflecting a movement in nature- the falling of a leaf, a slight change in the breeze or alignment of the clouds. It's a truly dreamlike experience with genuine heart and important messages. An album unlike any other you'll hear this year- 'Ancestors Wheel' releases on September 27th. "Let's be proactive in restoring our relationships to all our relatives here (Matthew O'Neill)".
Keziah Pledger
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