a ways away
The latest offering from Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, engineer and painter Tara Jane O'Neil, A Ways Away, begins like a thousand singer-songwriter albums. The plaintive vocals and soft tambourines of 'Dig In' have a folk-like vibe, with a hint of the gospel-on-heroin sound of the Velvet Underground's third album. As seems common at the moment, everything is swathed in a great quantity of reverb. However, the simplicity of the sound is deceptive and there are many subtle touches to the production that become apparent only after a number of listens. The percussion in 'A New Building' sounds programmed to my ears, but not in a way that is obtrusive within the intimate blend of acoustic and electric guitars that accompany it. Buried in 'A New Building' is what sounds like a looped guitar, holding everything together. The atmosphere of restrained emotion in A Ways Away makes it a cohesive listen and O'Neil's carefully-arranged guitars stitch everything together, but there are touches of interesting instrumental colour throughout, from strings to tape delay. The studied lack of bombast is occasionally almost comical: at no point do either the instrumentation or vocals in 'Howl' get close to the animal extremity suggested by the its title. Instead the soft weave of the instrumentation and the mostly-indecipherable melancholy murmur of the vocals wrap around the listener's ear, bringing with them a hint of twilight, whatever time of day it is. The standout tracks 'Pearl into Sand' with its perfectly-judged electric slide guitar and 'The Drowning Electric' with its woozy combination of delay, feedback and strings, are instrumentals. Both have a restrained, cinematic quality and conjure a sense of mystery and drama without the need for vocals. In fact, the lyrics on the rest of the album are so indistinct that they could be considered more of a decoration, like Blind Willie Johnson's moans, than a focal point. A Ways Away will enchant some, but I'm waiting impatiently for a fully-instrumental solo effort. -- nick ilott.
Listening to "A Ways Away" summons images of clouds floating dreamily along streets of memories and pastel cartoon. This, O'Neil's fifth album is relaxing, contemplative and soothing – ideal for an afternoon on the veranda with a bottle of your favourite whiskey. The clean guitar and satin voice of O'Neil are a common theme which flow beautifully through the entire album gently holding it all in place. Many of the tracks hold Irish undertones, in particular 'Drowning' which is full of Celtic heart and soul played out in repetitive rhythms and lilting vocals. In 'Beast Go Along' and 'Pearl Into Sand', melodies reminiscent of '80/90's bands House of Love and James and the like, ring through like gateways to the past shrouded in a refreshing haze of quality song writing. -- anna johnston.
:: Tara Jane O`Neil: A Ways Away - K Records/Cargo.
