Neil Armstrong impresses in a big way on his diverse debut album, "Nearly Life"
Review by Austin Sher
Neil Armstrong’s wonderful debut album, Nearly Life could not have come at a better time. Read along with us as we break down our thoughts on the record, in addition a bit of background on the artist as well.
Written against the backdrop of the Pandemic we’re all living in, Nearly Life is the latest album to come from Neil Armstrong. Teaming up with lyricist David Will Mitchell and the legendary Jose Maria Sagrista (Triana), the album was initially sparked in January of this year and finished within six months despite recording grinding to a halt mid-way through due to Spain’s intensive lockdown measures. Like so much music released this year, we’re just so happy to see projects like these being able to get completed one way or another.
Contextually speaking, the album addresses descent and redemption; falling from grace, financial loss, physical falls, societal descents and environmental decline to name a few. Taking inspiration from poet W.B. Yeats, author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and from pivotal societal moments such as the Covid pandemic, the 9/11 tragedy and climate change, Nearly Life engages with big themes in a thoughtful and nuanced way.
The first thing you’ll notice on the album, besides the lush instrumentation, is Neil’s unique vocal delivery. Paired with the intensive lyrics that he uses to describe the situation we all find ourselves in, the way that he channels the emotion was a massive standout while listening. Spread across 9 impressive tracks, spanning 36 lovely minutes, Nearly Life is just the type of record we need in our lives at the moment. It comes at an inflection point where life has become difficult, but at least we have masterful releases such as this to get us through it.
With the addition of Jose Maria Sagrista on 3 of the tracks on the album, you can so clearly hear the impact he has on the lyrics. Both Neil and Jose have blown us away with the immense amount of effort they’ve put in here. As far as debut albums go, we can confidently say that this one is a true winner. It’s packed with originality, inventiveness, and current events that need to be talked about as much as possible. If that means dedicating songs to specific events, then that’s the way it needs to be.
I hope we’ve made ourselves clear, but we thoroughly enjoyed this album from start to finish. Our favorites were the opener, “Falling Man”, the title track “Nearly Life”, and “Rhythm of Destiny”. To be fully honest though, it was tough to pick favorites because every track listened to were great in their own right.
At this point, let’s make that we’re highly recommending and encouraging you all to listen! For all things Neil Armstrong, to listen to Nearly Life, and to keep up with all future releases and info, please check out the following links below.
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