Don't Be Afraid

The coin stands balanced on its edge, Heads or Tails, the common question to try your luck, has somehow been augmented to become a question between tipping into despair or flying triumphantly out over the chasm. Tami Neilson, poised here in that moment, delivers the full promise of jeopardy. Swinging this pendulum route, she is pulled downward by the weight of loss and mourning, then hits up into the face of grief with some of the most defiant fierceness we have heard from her. Reaching out to grasp some of her best song writing to date, she gives some of her most fully realized performances. As she goes from strength to strength we are left with the treasures she has collected along the way and some of the most powerful musical influences in her life. Songs from the masterful pen of her father, the irreplaceable Ron Neilson, her continued work with her brother Jay Neilson as well as fellow conspirator Delaney Davidson, all fit seamlessly here as a testament to the passing of a milestone in her life. Don’t Be Afraid- is the last song Ron Neilson wrote, in a career of over 60 years of music lived with a belief and faith that most musicians only dream of. Finished by Tami and Jay this powerful overture to love beyond the bonds of this physical realm naturally takes place as title track to the album. Lonely- begun while Ron was 20 years old on tour and finished by Tami, plays the game of personified emotion singing to us while haunting the space left behind by a vacant partner. Originally demo recorded outside the hotel while on tour in Kelowna BC. Heavy Heart- After the tears stop and before they start the heart carries the heavy suitcases that go backwards and forwards between the goodbyes and out the plane window love hangs dark between the night stars. If Love Were Enough- Time rolls on without us, and even the ever- victorious love sometimes bows its head in acceptance of the roads it is asked to take. The grand children live on to distant dreams of the man who once watched and held them. Holy Moses- Reaching full throttle, the trance like roll lies full length under the ragged cry of disbelief that cuts out over the mayhem. An everyday prayer to the deliverer of the people. Bury My Body- The last song Ron ever heard and was his favourite out of the song list for the album. Carried by the voice his enthusiasm at the autonomous power of the vocal, unabashed and strong leading firmly into the spiritual territory. Only Tears- In this co-write with Davidson we hear the wash of south sea, see the hands waving into the sunset and feel the sun kissed goodbye as the canoe pushes out from shore. Loco Mama- “Parenthood brings you from the brink of madness to the deepest joy at dizzying speed”. The old saying from Greenhithe rings true. Monkeys run wild in the undergrowth. A Hollywood Latino Classic. So Far Away- The repetition of departure and arrival plays out at lightning speed into an animation of accelerated aging. The adventurer who follows their heart into the world pays the ultimate price of losing the place at the family table, not through choice but by default. Laugh, Laugh, Laugh- Under the swagger and bravado we feel the hidden heartbreak and if we look closely see that tears run through the stage make up. The classic grieving technique reveal in this vaudeville banger. The First Man- A life deftly told in four verses, starting at the first moments into the world and finishing with the last words. In this beautifully tender portrayal of a daughter and her father, measuring stick and mentor, Tami demonstrates her songwriting craft.

Canadian-raised, New Zealand-based roots singer/songwriter Tami Neilson made a real splash internationally with 2015's Dynamite!¸ an album t...