Nealo has announced his new album is to be released on November 17th, and releases a new song featuring Susan O’Neill.
November Medicine is the title of the Dublin rapper Nealo’s forthcoming second album. We’ve heard songs ‘Tears You Cry‘ and ‘Forest’ featuring Morgana, and Rebel Phoenix, Jehnova, Shiv and Rach & Uly also feature.
‘Only Human’ is a song that closes the record and features the voice of Susan O’Neill (SON) and Nealo says it is unique because “it’s the first song I have written that sounds distinctly Irish.”
The song was created during a retreat in Doolin in December 2020, with Susan O’Neill, Gemma Doherty from Saint Sister, and producers Royal Yellow (Mark O’Brien) and Adam Shanahan. The crackle of the fireplace can be heard in the recording of the harp line. The video is by Honey JD.
“It’s about the overwhelming feeling of meeting someone and knowing that your whole lives are now intertwined forever. It’s about meeting your soulmate in a messed-up world, where things seem to be falling apart. You attach yourself to this feeling because it is so beautiful, and it makes you feel safe and connected. At the end of the day, all we’re really searching for is connection. In the song, I’m talking about how good it feels to be with that person, just to walk with them. I’d sacrifice so much to be with that person and have them in my life. I want to show them everything about my life, where I came from, where I grew up, all the bad and good in that area, and all the bad and good in myself.”
Nealo live gigs
- Ireland Music Week: Friday 6th October. Tengu, Dublin.
- Cold Summit: Tuesday October 31st. Big Romance, Dublin.
- Album Launch tba
Pre-Save/Order November Medicine here
Tracklist:
1. Love Ya
2. Absent Hearted
3. Spirit Totem
4. Forest Feat. Morgana
5. On Blanch Interlude
6. Tears You Cry Feat. Jehnova
7. I Know Feat. Shiv
8. What Colour Would Our Friendship Be? Feat. Rebel Phoenix
9. Bucko, Wilbur, Frankie & The Acid (interlude)
10. Cereal Feat. Morgana, Rach & Uly
11. Rosemary
12. Tiny Birds Interlude
13. Only Human
About Nealo – November Medicine.
Only Humans highlights the vulnerability of Nealo on November Medicine. The record that pulled him out of the basement. It was hard won, dragged out of himself during a particularly difficult period in his life. While his debut album was a celebration of learning to love and contribute to the neglected city he was born into, his sophomore LP taught him how to love himself, how to celebrate himself. Across nine songs and four voice notes, Nealo lays everything out. With a voice that’s smoked a million cigarettes and screamed through a hundred hardcore shows he offers up himself, the end of his ten year relationship, his depression and his determination to heal. His honesty is severe and his tone is warm.
Collaboration is at the heart of this record, and feels like a guiding philosophy for the Nealo project. We hear his spirit repair as friends lend a voice, a word and a shoulder. Morgana enters first in Forest, counting steps to get through the winter. Jehnova’s bars on Tears You Cry sound like a soothing friend, tired from picking up the pieces but ever reliable “Everything connected on a level based on frequency”. Rebel Phoenix’s raw and reassuring tones promise new seasons beginning in What Colour Would Our Friendship Be?, until a burst of joy in the form of Cereal, the song which wears itself the lightest, feels as though the gang is back together, “looking for a miracle”.
November Medicine, which begins in the basement, ends in the urban expanse of Blanchardstown. Only Human, the final track, is the weather vane on the top of the highest house in the suburbs. It promises love in all forms; for oneself, for family, for the graves and for the children. This is more than a record, it is a reckoning with what it means to be a father, a son, a friend, an ex husband and a good person. What is always there, beneath the shouts and intricate wordplay is a desire to rebuild, to grow further towards the sun. There seems to be a promise; that Nealo will continue to take his November Medicine.
With an admirable track record since the release of his debut album All The Leaves Are Falling in 2020, highlights include a spot in the ‘Irish Times Top 10 Artists’, an RTE Choice Prize nomination, sold out headline shows across Ireland and opening for YG, Saba and Dizzee Rascal. His reputation for ambitious live shows combined with his sharp lyrical narrative and charmingly candid approach to storytelling has earned him a wide and loyal fanbase. Nealo’s impact on Irish music can be felt in the scene that he is building through his recorded collaborations and in venues across the country. His standout performance at Other Voices can be watched here. Cold Summit, which boasts an impressive lineup of Ireland’s leading hip hop sensations, is yet another example of Nealo’s commitment to musical excellence and community. In every arena he is providing honest, soul-touching and vulnerable music to a generation in need. Addressing society and the myriad of problems ingrained in Irish culture, Nealo’s voice is unique, uncompromisingly true and important in understanding contemporary Ireland.
