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.

  • 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.)

    Strays Don’t Sleep Release “A Short Film For a Long Story”

    Neilson Hubbard and Matthew Ryan reunite as Strays Don’t Sleep for the atmospheric EP “A Short Film for a Long Story.”

    Strays Don't Sleep

    Matthew Ryan and Neilson Hubbard, who released a self-titled album together as Strays Don’t Sleep in 2005, have reunited for the EP entitled A Short Film for a Long Story. The wonderful four songs on the EP complete a story arc through an atmospheric soundtrack of hope for troubled people in troubled times.

    Since the release of their self-titled Strays Don’t Sleep debut, Ryan and Hubbard have gone in different directions. Ryan continues creating engaging music as a solo singer-songwriter, while Hubbard became a successful Nashville producer.

    The new four-song EP features what Ryan’s website calls the pair’s “own brand of earthy, cinematic indie-folk.” Ryan and Hubbard envision the music as a soundtrack to a montage featured in an art film, steeped in themes of “perseverance, reclamation, and an embracement of the joys of being alive.”

    From my listening, Ryan and Hubbard seem to use the EP format to track a relationship through troubles and reunion. More specifically, Ryan and Hubbard explain that the opening song “I Walked Away” is about reclamation: “It’s a song about man vs. himself, and how losing that battle affects others.” Ryan has also said the song is about “the dangers of being an asshole.”

    Ryan’s weary voice on lead vocals in “I Walked Away” highlight the plea of the singer being so close to the edge that he might never return. At its heart, though, “I Walked Away” leaves open room for hope.

    “I Walked Away” is followed by “A Woman Running,” which is an instrumental Ryan describes as about “a moment of hope for what you can be, and melancholy for losing what wasn’t working but was known”). That song turns into “Couldn’t Be Happier.”

    The beginning notes of “Couldn’t be Happier” indicate a shift in tone for the four-song arc, indicating relief and hope in the face of challenges. Hubbard’s voice takes the lead here, trading off with Ryan later in the song. Their voices blend well together, so that one might hope that Hubbard, like Ryan, would release more solo music in his own voice.

    The EP ends with the inspiring “Hope is a Love Song.” Ryan has compared “Hope is a Love Song” to the feeling one gets after driving all night to get home, finally arriving at the destination where loved ones wait to greet you. 

    One of the reasons I love great music is that it can speak to listeners in different ways, even though the artist may not have intended those interpretations. For example, while listening to this EP on repeat play the last few weeks, I have been worrying about a friend in an emotionally abusive relationship and these songs brought comfort.

    I found comfort and hope through the trajectory of A Short Film for a Long Story. In the music, I heard my friend’s situation through the first song recounting a person losing themselves in a bad situation. Then, through the instrumental “A Woman Running,” I heard escape. And finally with the last two songs, I heard the hope for a future of finding a new life and love. Even though Strays Don’t Sleep may have intended to track a divide and reunion, I found my own connection to the music for my current moment.

    Reunion

    Speaking of reunion, listeners may wonder why there was a 15-year hiatus from Strays Don’t Sleep music when the duo still had such wonderful music to share. Ryan has explained that there was a foolish and youthful divide that emerged between the two. But maturity and wisdom helped bring them back together when they wrote these songs in October 2019. And then came the strange world circumstances, such as the coronavirus pandemic and U.S. politics. These events compelled the two men to record and release this vital music on A Short Film for a Long Story.

    Finally, Hubbard and Ryan indicate they do not plan to wait fifteen more years to work together. Music seems to have the power to heal old wounds. And their reunion has created beautiful music of reconciliation and hopefulness during our current era of despair.

    Or as Hubbard puts it:”I feel at the heart of this EP there is a story about looking in the mirror to find the way out. Modern living has told us we are participating in a story that we don’t have control over, that we must believe certain things to find our value and belonging.  Ultimately we have the power to walk away from self-destruction.  We can choose to love ourselves and each other.”

    It is not a bad message for these days. And A Short Film for a Long Story comes with some wonderful healing music for our tortured souls too.

    A Short Film for a Long Story is available on Bandcamp. Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • The Pines at Night (Matthew Ryan) Releases Full Album,”A Year of Novembers”
  • A “Song for a Hard Year” from The Pines at Night
  • “Life is Beautiful” With Matthew Ryan
  • There Will Be Another Christmas
  • Matthew Ryan Covers “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” (Cover of the Day)
  • Pandemic-At-Home Song of the Day: “Trouble Doll” by Matthew Ryan
  • ( Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)