Rob’s Album Of The Week: Ian O’Neil’s Ten Years Of It

Fans of Providence, Rhode Island alternative rock act Deer Tick know about John McCauley’s songwriting. It’s the foundation that the band feeds off of, but that’s not the only dimension that’s present within their music. Ian O’Neil has also supplied a bunch of tunes for the quartet’s material and it creates an extraordinary dynamic between him and McCauley. On October 25, his debut full-length, Ten Years Of It, was released via Athenry Records and it’s an excellent showcase of his talents. There’s an acoustic-based sound with various elements being included to make for a complete listening experience.

O’Neil has his fellow Deer Tick comrades Dennis & Chris Ryan on drums and bass while Dennis contributes on backing vocals. O’Neil and Dennis also each take turns on the keys. Liz Isenberg lends her singing to a few songs to add a pleasant quality while putting more emphasis on the chorus. O’Neil’s voice has a bit of grit to it and it’s genuinely emotional as well. It’s not a totally electrifying record, but there’s a similar amount of force and energy.

When it comes from a musician who’s in a band, a solo release has some sort of purity to it. The listener gets to see their true artistic side. Everything is put into the record like a painter putting it all on canvas. There’s also the natural deciphering of contrasts and…