It is the simple thing that is so hard to do. This is the paradox that musician Lael Neale has lived within throughout her development as an artist. It is the reason she became enthralled with poetry. Poems are a distillation. Lael says, “this challenge to winnow away what is unessential is the most maddening and, ultimately, rewarding part of writing a song.†Lael’s new album Acquainted With Night is a testament to this poetic devotion. Stripped of any extraneous word or sound, the songs are lit by Lael’s crystalline voice which lays on a lush bed of Omnichord. The collection touches on themes that have been thread into her work for years: isolation, mortality, yearning, and reaching ever toward the transcendent experience. Lael grew up on a farm in rural Virginia, but for nearly 10 years called Los Angeles home. Those years were spent developing her songwriting and performing in venues across the city, but the right way to record the songs proved more elusive. She says, “Every time I reached the end of recording, I felt the songs had been stripped of their vitality in the process of layering drums, bass, guitar, violin, and organ over them. They felt weighed down.†In a moment of illumination the solution presented itself: do the simple thing. In early 2019, in the midst of major transition, she acquired a new instrument, the omnichord, and began recording a deluge of songs. Guy Blakeslee, who had been an advocate for years, set up a cassette recorder in her bedroom and provided empathic guidance, subtle yet affecting accompaniment and engineering prowess. Limited to only 4-tracks and first takes, Lael had to surrender some of her perfectionism to deliver the songs in their essence. The first song she recorded was “For No One For Now,†which calls to mind the agitated beat of driving fast on the freeway against the backdrop of the San Fernando Valley’s bent palms. The song contrasts romantic idealizations with the banality of folding sheets and toasting bread. It highlights her oft-thwarted attempts to enjoy the day to day while her mind wanders off toward the dream, the ideal. While Lael returned to her family farm in April 2020, Los Angeles is a player on this album, and “Every Star Shivers in the Dark†is an ode to the sprawling city, the outskirts of Eden. One can envision her walking from Dodgers Stadium to downtown, observing strangers and her own strangeness but determined to find communion with others. “Blue Vein†is her personal anthem, a Paul Revere piece that gallops through the town as a strident declamation. It is an amalgam of thoughts, concerns, and lessons as she nearly speaks the words, unmasked by flourishes, ensuring the meaning cuts through. Normally a morning person, Lael recorded most of these songs in the darkening of the early evening, and so became Acquainted With Night.
Release date:
February 19, 2021
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted
Mounted on the SH-4 Black Headshell, this setup delivers exceptional clarity, dynamic range, and accurate sound reproduction.
-
Pro-Ject Phono Box DC Pre-Amp
Compact, high-performance phono preamplifier for both MM and MC cartridges, delivering a clean, detailed signal with minimal noise.
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
Technics SL-1500C Turntable
Features a direct-drive motor, a high-precision tonearm, and a premium MM cartridge, delivering exceptional sound quality
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Patrick Watson Uh Oh
Secret City Records
September 26, 2025 -
Pile Sunshine and Balance Beams
Sooper Records
August 15, 2025 -
Steve Gunn Music For Writers
Three Lobed Recordings
August 15, 2025 -
Maruja Pain To Power
Sony International Network
September 12, 2025 -
Rise Against Ricochet
Loma Vista Recordings
August 15, 2025 -
Jamie Lidell Places Of Unknowing
TODO
July 18, 2025 -
Winter Adult Romantix
Winspear
August 22, 2025 -
Modern Nature The Heat Warps
Bella Union
August 29, 2025 -
Laura Jane Grace Adventure Club (Pink)
Polyvinyl Records
July 18, 2025 -
The Band CAMINO NeverAlways (Amazon Exclusive; Apple Red)
Atlantic
July 25, 2025 -
The Beths Straight Line Was a Lie
Anti
August 29, 2025 -
Dinosaur Pile-Up I'Ve Felt Better (Yellow Flame Marble)
Mascot
August 22, 2025 -
Allo Darlin' Bright Nights (Magenta)
Slumberland Records
July 25, 2025 -
Goon Dream 3
Born Losers Records
July 11, 2025