November Medicine [CD]

November Medicine is the record that pulled Nealo 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 thatís 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 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 Blanch. “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.