The omnichord singer/songwriter is building a church to indie gospel.
One shouldn’t be fooled by this opening, by the hectically driving rhythm, by the meaninglessly thrown out “Padapadadapa” in the chorus. Rather, you should listen closely to the somehow strange and crooked omnichord in the middle of “I Am The River”, the opener of Lael Neale’s third album. Immediately afterwards in “If I Had No Wings” this electronic original instrument of an organ comes straight from the church, the melody from the hymnal.
It is always about passing away, about eternity and futility
The tempo on STAR EATER’S DELIGHT becomes more and more solemn, the mood more and more wistful, the omnichord plays the central theme, and appropriately it’s always about passing away, about eternity and futility. All life ends sometime in the great ocean (“I Am The River”), even in spring there’s only crying (“Must Be Tears”) and for “In Verona” Neale recreates the ancient story of Romeo and Juliet and how it ended, you know that.
Said to have never read the Bible, the Virginia singer/songwriter lays a firm foundation upon which indie gospel can build its home, a edifice of bewitching melodies that soar to the highest spheres where only the angels sing