Tag: Doug Lancio

The Pines at Night (Matthew Ryan) Releases Full Album,”A Year of Novembers”

As The Pines at Night, Matthew Ryan releases an excellent full-length contemplative album, “A Year of Novembers.”

Matthew Ryan November

Perhaps no artist has been as prolific as Matthew Ryan in creating art reflecting the mood of the last few years as our country and the world have struggled through difficult times. Earlier this year, he released the maxi-single “A Song for a Hard Year” under a new name to reflect the collaborative nature of his music, The Pines at Night. Now, under the new name The Pines at Night (and apparently with a new name also as songwriter, “Ryan C. Webb”), he has released a full album through Bandcamp called A Year of Novembers.

The release on November 7 marked an important 50th birthday for Ryan. Although in the last year he retreated largely from social media to find a quieter peace in our crazy world, he now gives us another generous gift with music that captures the atmosphere of the times, what one writer has called a “hopeful dark moodiness.”

The acoustic songs on A Year of Novembers are quieter than other full-album releases from Ryan in recent years like Hustle Up Starlings and Boxers. But in releasing several online EP’s or “maxi-singles” in recent years, Ryan’s music has been focused on the contemplative (although that always has been true of his music to a large extent).

As a general matter, the music is quiet, largely electric guitar or piano based with a dash of harmonica and additional non-intrusive bass, cello, Vox, and percussion. It’s all the better to keep the focus on the lyrics and a certain mood captured in the album’s title (although not all tracks have lyrics with To Be Young and In Love In America in November” being an improvised instrumental with David Henry).

From the opening track, “Peace and Love,” Ryan’s raspy voice draws you in, asking what starts as a familiar rock question that then takes a left turn, “What’s so funny about peace and love? Peace and love and murder?”

The songs from the album are not currently on YouTube, but the demo for “Peace and Love” (then called “Peace, Love & Murder”) originally appeared as an extra on Ryan’s release of an acoustic version of his album Hustle Up Starlings (2017), called Starlings Unadorned (2018). Below is the demo.

I loved the demo, yet I’m thrilled that the song found a new life on the new album. The completed version of the song on A Year of Novembers, not surprisingly, takes the song to a different level with fuller instrumentation that highlights the vocal and lyrics even more than the acoustic demo. Musicians, in addition to “M. Ryan,” adding to the album include Doug Lancio, Neilson Hubbard, and David Henry.

The opening song also tells us that “the heart is a ruthless plow,” which may sum up much of the album’s explorations. There are references to hearts throughout the album, and there is love’s redemption waiting everywhere. Yet, there also are other themes too.

The album ends with “The Day After the End of the World,” continuing Ryan’s recent trajectory of beautiful and amazing doomsday songs like “On Our Death Day” and “The Last Event” on recent releases. Here, with some “sha la la’s,” he tells us to “shake off the night” and assures us “we’re gonna be alright . . . for a while.”

I believe his reassurances that we are going to be okay, at least as long as he keeps providing us with the most essential soundtrack for these crazy times.

Head over to Bandcamp to listen to and, if you like it, buy the album (naming your own price), supporting Ryan’s continuing work. The album cover above, entitled “Last November,” was taken by Ryan. Leave your two cents in the comments.

Buy from Amazon

  • A “Song for a Hard Year” from The Pines at Night
  • There Will Be Another Christmas
  • I’ll See You In My Dreams: Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021
  • We sang, “Silent Night” All Day Long
  • Strays Don’t Sleep Release “A Short Film For a Long Story”
  • Everyone Needs a Little Extra “Love And Mercy” Now
    • ( Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    Matthew Ryan Finds Beauty Within Our National Affliction: “On Our Death Day”

    Matthew Ryan On Our Death Day

    Matthew Ryan has released a new single, “On Our Death Day.” The song, in the form of a “maxi-single,” arrives now without an album because Ryan felt an urgency to release it. It’s a song about our national moment, timely yet timeless, trying to find some sanity and hope in spite of what is coming out of Washington.

    In October 2016, Ryan put music to the pre-election mood with his instrumental album, Current Events. Part of the purpose of that album was to create a soundtrack for information overload and the troubles of the times. With these new singles, he wrestles with the the post-election situation through his lyrics.

    On Our Death Day

    Although “On Our Death Day” comes out of our current political moment, the song is not political in the sense of a call to arms or of being in the voice of an activist. Instead, the singer asks timeless questions. The voice comes from someone troubled by our world. And the person could be someone who voted for our current president, or not.

    The singer asks these questions of someone named Mary. The context leads one to imagine the conversation taking place between a man and his beloved. Perhaps they are an older couple in Ryan’s home state of Pennsylvania. Maybe they are farmers in the Midwest, or they could be anywhere in the country. (Or one could find the singer’s appeal going to a more spiritual place in light of the woman’s name.)

    There are no accusations here, and Ryan has called “On Our Death Day” a love song. The opening verse ponders how we got to this moment in our lives. The singer understands the unhappiness that brought the current occupant to the White House. When those in the city and in the country are hurting, they look for answers: “You’ll start looking where you hurt.”

    There is understanding, not blame, for those who opened the door. But it is clear who is the target of the second verse.

    There’s a vulture with his head down,

    The captain’s butchering Gunga Din;

    He calls for darkness and darkness comes;

    Our fellow slaves invite it in.

    Yet this darkness, this person, this situation, is not really as new to the world as one might think. This same darkness is “in every book ever written.”

    It would be easy to find despair in this darkness. But the singer reassures us that when all hope is gone, “all that’s left is hope.” In the chorus, he asks Mary if it is too late or if they will still have each other. Maybe it is love that gets us through. “Will you be standing / Under a black and silver sky / By my side, / By the graves,/ On our death day?

    The song’s title referring to “our death day” may lead one to expect a dark song. But Ryan explained to Chimesfreedom that “a death can also be the end of an idea.” In fact, he explained, the song is looking for “context and redemption, and above all, a way out.”

    It is not surprising that Ryan feels a special connection to this song. Many artists have avoided the challenge of the current political situation, perhaps hoping for additional clarity with more time. Some, like Son Volt, have released an album trying to sort through current events. Others have found mostly rage. With the new single, Ryan felt compelled to dig deeper, seeking his way around to find hope and love as ways to lead all of us out of this mess.

    And It’s Such a Drag

    For the B-side to “On Our Death Day” Ryan reworked his song “And It’s Such a Drag.” The song originally appeared in a quieter form on his album In the Dusk of Everything (2012). On the new amped-up version, Ryan is joined by Doug Lancio (guitar), Aaron “The A-Train” Smith (drums), and Kelley Looney (bass). This group provides great energy to the song. We hope there might be an album with this lineup in the future.

    Ryan explained that he included “And It’s Such a Drag” with “On Our Death Day” because the B-side is about “an intimate confrontation with a narcissist.” One should be troubled by how a song originally written about a broken relationship can work so well as a commentary on our president.

    But it is the perfect B-side for “On Our Death Day.” While the A-side is about quiet redemption, the B-side’s rock sound lets out a little anger. Sometimes you need to vent before you can get around to peace and understanding.

    In this context, I imagine “And It’s Such a Drag” being in the voice of a disillusioned Trump supporter, or really any American voter: “Who loves you/ More than me/ Who gave you/ All that he had.” Then, the realization that this president (lover) does not care: “And you talk about me/ Like I was just another one of your deals.” The more I listen to this song, the more I think it is about this moment right now, even though Ryan wrote it years ago. Crank it up loud.

    A Leonard Cohen Cover Bonus Track

    Finally, the digital version of Ryan’s “maxi-single” release includes a bonus song. Ryan covers Leonard Cohen’s song “Steer Your Way.” The tune originally appeared on Cohen’s haunting final album recorded while he was in declining health, You Want it Darker (2016). Ryan had recorded the song for a Cohen-tribute vinyl album after the 2016 election, Like a Drunk In A Midnight Choir. It is a nice addition here as a bonus track.


    Cohen’s song, in the voice of one nearing the end of life, coaxes us to review our own choices and our lives. The singer advises, “Steer your heart past the Truth you believed in yesterday.” Again, I find in this song Ryan’s compassion for people who are open to growth and to changing their minds.

    Ryan has disclosed that Cohen’s song helped steer him back toward hope. He adds that the lyrics to “Steer Your Way” say “so clearly what needs to be said right now.”

    In releasing these three recordings together now, Ryan explained, “Each of us should do what we can to offer intelligence and beauty and conscience in contrast to this stormy weather.” With beauty, grace, contemplation, compassion, and poetry, Ryan has lived up to his end of the bargain.

    Of course, those are just my impressions of the songs. You may find something different in them. To purchase “On Our Death Day” on vinyl with “And It’s Such a Drag” or as a digital maxi-single with the bonus Leonard Cohen song, head over to Matthew Ryan’s website or his Bandcamp page.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.