Casey Neill – time zero land
Casey Neill has a new album launching via Fluff and Gravy Records time zero land. This album traces back through events in the ’90s (Pacific Northwest clearcutting) and other happenings in the 2010’s, along with their version of an 18th century Irish ballad, a song about hitchhiking in Ireland, all done with shades of Richard Thomson, Sade and Nick Drake in Casey’s Brit – folk blended style. Running throughout the songs, is the theme of care and concern for nature and life’s beauty. It’s more powerful than what the concept of “theme” connotes, for Casey sings from an honest core of authenticity and love.
“This Ragged Acre” starts the collection off with Casey solo acoustic in intimate reflection: “on this ragged acre, I lay my burdens down” and it’s sung gently with acoustic guitar “can you feel the breath of time? life finds a way.” It’s quite beautiful. “At Play in the Fields” adds close vocal harmonious and string effects and continues the subdued, contemplative style.
“Dance On Air” was originally composed for a theater production in 2012 but fits in nicely here with the languid “wind singing in the corn, on a night so endless but over too soon, she’d dance on air.” Next, “The Rocks of Bawn” is an Irish folk ballad, introduced here with musical sustain and then Casey singing in a rich, honest and far-flung wide range.
“The Distance Ahead” is another abjectly beautiful ode to the forest lands, inspired by Richard Powers’ fascinating biocentric novel The Overstory, and Casey’s rich vocals again support a recurring significant perspective here – care and support for nature.
time zero land is named after the Polaroid Time-Zero Onestep SX-70 Land camera (the ones that roll out photos instantly). The songs on this album offer a sort of subconscious connection with the soul and the earth in a resonant, somewhat indirect and obliquely referenced way. Casey wrote them by tapping into memories he was holding onto from 10, 20, and even 30 years ago or so.
Find more current information here on his website: https://www.caseyneill.com
Enjoy our previous coverage of his recent release last fall with the Norway Rats band here: REVIEW: Casey Neill and the Norway Rats “Sending Up Flares”
Musicians on the album are Casey Neill on vocals, guitars, bass, percussion, keyboards, and melodica; with Jenny Conlee-Drizos – accordion, piano, and mellotron; Steven Drizos on drums; Kyleen King on strings and string arrangement; Allen Hunter on upright bass; Ji Tanzer on drums; and Jesse Emerson on bass.
All songs were written by Casey Neill (Mock Turtle Music BMI) except ‘This Ragged Acre’ (by Joe Adragna and Casey Neill0 and ‘Rocks of Bawn’ (trad Irish from the singing of Joe Heaney). The album was recorded and mixed by Casey Neill with additional mixing by Steve Drizos at Panther on ‘The Distance Ahead’ and ‘The North Sea’ and ‘Dance on Air’ was recorded by Brandon Eggleston at Bocce; and ‘The Eastside’ was recorded by John Askew at Bocce. The album was mastered by Jon Neufeld with cover photo by Matthew Reed Baker and back cover photo by Jaret Ferratusco.