Described by Neil as a "homecoming", ‘Melody Road’ brings us back to the start of his musical journey reflecting Neil’s lifelong love of folk music and the early influences of artists such as The Weavers and Woody Guthrie.
The album’s vocal tracks were recorded live, in much the same way they would have been if the album had been created decades ago. Like the best folk songs, each of the album’s tracks tells a story, most pointedly on ‘Seongah and Jimmy’, a song about Neil’s American brother-in-law and Korean sister-in-law who met and fell in love before they had learned to speak each other’s languages. ‘Melody Road’ is largely autobiographical but the stories Neil tells are not his alone.
Co-produced by Don Was (Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones) and Jacknife Lee (R.E.M., U2) ‘Melody Road’ is true to the origin of folk, but not defined by it. The album was recorded using guitars, keyboards, flutes, horns and on ‘Seongah and Jimmy’, ‘The Art of Love’ and ‘Nothing But A Heartache’ a full string section. Yet for all of its expansiveness and rich production ‘Melody Road’ is ultimately all about the songs. Neil has come full circle. He’s brought five decades of extraordinary craftsmanship with him but he has returned to where he started, propelled by the simple joy of translating life into song.
