New group project from singer-songwriter Matthew Neel offers up a broad musical palette that reveals distinct artistic growth.
Mr Wolf is a new group project from North London singer-songwriter Matthew Neel, who many will remember from his critically acclaimed debut album New Maps Of Hell that came out in 2010. As with that release, Neel has reunited with guitarist Luke Brighty, who had previously been part of The Blessing and, more recently, played in Mark Knopfler’s touring band, as well as The Crypt Studio founder Ricky Barber, for this new undertaking that was first forged during after-hour jam sessions at Neels’ café in Tufnell Park during and after the second Covid lockdown. From a rotating cast of musicians that at one time included White Lies’ Charles Cave, the embryos of a band began to develop with the addition of mandolin player Ali Milne-Tyte and drummer and percussionist Gaeton Allard, helping to add the required colour and diversity to Neel’s compositions.
NurseryRhymesForTheEndOfTimes was recorded by David Simpson at The Crypt Studio in Crouch End, North London, between the summer of 2023 and the autumn of 2024, and musically offers a left-field take on the americana genre, exploring its outer perimeter, blending blues and noir folk with gypsy jazz and English music hall, to create a refreshingly unique sound, discreetly cloaked in the faint echo of familiarity. The album opens with the jaunty Darling Never Mind, which immediately draws attention to Neel’s descriptive narratives and distinctive vocal delivery that hints at the acclaimed songwriting duo Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, possibly even Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy. The infectious God Only Knows continues apace, while tracks such as Tick Tock and Downtown Day take advantage of Milne-Tyte’s sublime mandolin playing.
The album’s twelve songs are defined by a constant shift in musical ambience, with the arrangements varying from the atmospheric Daughters and Sons to the no-holds-barred rockabilly of Cold Heart that sees Brighty excel on the fiery guitar solo. Elsewhere, the Latin rhythms and melodic hook lines of Road To Babylon maintain the genre’s fluidity, while Brighty shines again with his slide-guitar intro to the blues-tinged Oh Billy. The album concludes with two of its strongest tracks, firstly the confident swagger of Kingdom Of The Crowes, before the acoustic guitar and vocal intro of the closing number, Big Wheel, gives an appreciative nod to Nick Drake.
Underpinning the album’s genre flirtations throughout is Neel’s striking narratives and well-defined vocal delivery, both strongly characterised by their locality, using local landmarks as a foundation for his songs, which constantly weave between emotive reflection and suppressed angst, carefully decorated with half-revealed figures from London’s soft underbelly, ensuring a sense of foreboding lurks intermittently within the margins.
With NurseryRhymesForTheEndOfTimes, Mr Wolf has created an album that combines many of the familiar traits of the americana genre, delivered with an original twist, and with no two songs sounding the same, helping to maintain interest throughout the album’s twelve songs. One might argue that the musical diversity here creates a certain lack of cohesion, but for most of the album, Neel’s narratives help to retain a collective focus, ensuring that this new release is a thoroughly enjoyable listen, and one that sees him continue to mesmerise with his unique approach to the genre.
