Ro Yourell – known to many as the vocalist and guitarist of huge 00s Irish indie rock band Delorentos – shares his debut solo album Commencer today, Friday, 24th May.
New single ‘When You Look At Me’ is released alongside the album, accompanied by a music video directed by Gareth Anton Averill. “We all want to be noticed. In western societies, our focus on ‘the self’, combined with the pressure to socially climb, can leave us alienated us from one another. ‘When You Look At Me’ explores social isolation from opposite ends of the spectrum, resolving that in order to be seen, we must first reach out,” says Yourell of the single.
“Commencer is a coming-of-age album,” Yourell explains. “It’s a reflection on the development of a person, through the prisms of family, religion and the myriad of other systems that we put in place, designed to enhance our lives, but which can become an end in themselves. It is a journey towards acceptance, but more than that, it is a challenge to myself and anyone who cares to listen, to recognise and cherish that which is truly precious.”
Track Listing
Dream Aloud
Freedom
Don’t Let Me
Mary
How My Heart Beats
Forest Gate
Dance With You
Citadel
Incinerate
When You Look At Me
Weightless
Yourell says of the album: “Songwriting and performing have for a long time been my way of working things out, of exercising my demons. However in making this, my first record as a solo artist, I struggled for my voice in every sense. It wasn’t until I began to share and be challenged on my work, that I realised what I passionately wanted to express.
“Through a lot of experimentation and no little support from all those who know who they are, I found the conviction to go into the studio. The resulting recording is my attempt to purge fear and insecurity, and to embrace wherever I find myself with an open heart and mind.”
Ruminations on loss are woven throughout the album, including on opener ‘Dream Aloud’ and the plaintive, emotionally magnificent ‘Don’t Let Me’. ‘Freedom’ takes aim at the rigidity of our structures and institutions, and the unwillingness of those in power to rectify inequality. After all, as Yourell sings, we ultimately all face the same fate: “Crunching over others’ bones, ‘til all is dust and we are just the same.”
Bright piano and warm guitar cast a brilliant halo over ‘Mary’, which explores the line between fantasy and reality. Yourell’s voice is joined here by that of Donegal singer Chanele McGuinness, resulting in otherworldly harmonies. Next is ‘How My Heart Beats’, a love song that “explores the intangible quality of love, that which cannot be contrived or contained.” Yourell elaborates: “Love arrives and departs without warning. It can give us a new perspective, help us to see the world in technicolor.” The insistent guitar and shaker instrumentation symbolise the sense of purpose that love for another can give us, and the close harmony is reminiscent of the intimacy captured by songwriting greats like Simon & Garfunkel or Lennon & McCartney.
‘Forest Gate’ is a sunny summer day of a song, followed by ‘Dance With You’, which is made for new beginnings and sloughing off the doubts that dog us. The album’s most cinematic moment arrives in the form of ‘Citadel’. Between buzzing guitar, pounding keys, and ethereal vocals, Yourell crafts a spacious soundscape that overwhelms the listener. ‘Incinerate’ is propelled forward by Yourell’s impressive falsetto and hypnotic guitar; it’s a smouldering song you can imagine playing on a nighttime drive, with Yourell’s timely lyrics urging us to shun apathy and embrace agency. The penultimate track, ‘When You Look at Me’, reminds us that struggle is relative, but empathy is universal. The simple, imploring line “Just hold on” repeated over thumping drums speaks directly to our shared humanity.Finally, Yourell embraces the unknown on ‘Weightless’. Strings arranged by Colm Mac Con Iomaire (The Frames) build insistently as the track closes, giving us a sense of hope for the future. Yourell’s delicate, exquisite vocals come to the fore as he imparts simple yet invaluable lessons: “Take the child out in the garden / Plant a seed / And it will grow.”
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Photo Credit – Ruth Medjber