Steve von Till – Alone In A World Of Wounds

Neurot

Since the last Neurosis album back in 2016, Steve von Till has concentrated on his solo career, releasing seven solo albums, including this one, that continue to plumb the depths of Gothic-tinged Americana and explore his relationship with melody in ever increasing ways.

Concentrating on voice, piano and guitars and allowing input from various friends and fellow travellers, Alone In A World Of Wounds is an eight-song selection that broods in shadow but allows a stately warmth to penetrate from a voice that comforts in those dark moments.

The drone of cello and the shimmer of violin open the album, its momentum slow and stately. French horn adds melancholy but Steve’s warm, weathered voice carries humanity in its depths as crows call from the garden. The vocal phrasing among the songs is lovely and the voice carries an inclusivity that sets it apart. It is like the guy you meet in a bar drowning his sorrows, full of worldly wisdom but a bit too far gone to save. The sinuous strings are like a faithful retainer with a post-chamber majesty that suits the sedate progress.

He is clearly enjoying relaying the stories with a little spring in the step at times, even when delivering lines like “The damage is done / I can feel it in my bones”, and with the addition of synths to the strings and piano there is a soundtrack vibe to some of the songs. There are a few comparisons vocally, but it feels as though there is more room to experiment with accordion-like drones and gentle feather-light percussive rhythms providing a backdrop to the observations. There isn’t a huge amount of guitar and what there is becomes more textural.

In fact, Steve has really embraced writing on piano, with the notes resonating and allowed to decay as the songs proceed and that slower, wearier format suits the lyrics “She handed me the poison / I took it so willingly”. The addition of pedal steel textures are burnished by the setting sun, but where the synths are added, it doesn’t feel like the West. It is cooler somehow, the echoes still vast but there is a dubby element that suits the murky delivery.

Towards the end of Alone In A World Of Wounds, the voice grows lighter with heavy reverb on the guitar for a change of pace. The deftly chosen notes and glide of the cello seem to embrace nature in all its good and bad, showing acceptance even in the face of adversity.

Steve’s songwriting goes from strength to strength and this newfound approach only adds to his prowess. Alone In A World Of Wounds is a fine selection and well worth diving into.

Steve von Till – Alone In A World Of Wounds