Visual artist and musician Lonnie Holley worked with star producer Jacknife Lee on the studio effort Oh Me Oh My, honing Holley's freewheeling narratives and recollections into concise yet atmospheric songs. His poetic lyrics address earthly struggles while pondering our place in the universe, generally expressing messages of hope and encouragement. Several of the tracks on Oh Me Oh My take the form of ambient lullabies and meditations. "Testing" opens the release with drifting pianos, trickling synths, and Holley's rich, ...
Read More
Visual artist and musician Lonnie Holley worked with star producer Jacknife Lee on the studio effort Oh Me Oh My, honing Holley's freewheeling narratives and recollections into concise yet atmospheric songs. His poetic lyrics address earthly struggles while pondering our place in the universe, generally expressing messages of hope and encouragement. Several of the tracks on Oh Me Oh My take the form of ambient lullabies and meditations. "Testing" opens the release with drifting pianos, trickling synths, and Holley's rich, bellowing voice. Michael Stipe guests on the album's calm, ethereal title track, with sparse piano and upright bass underpinning Holley's lyrics about learning to be more understanding and growing more appreciative of the gift of life. "None of Us Have But a Little While" is a simple but resonant reflection on mortality, backed by Sharon Van Etten's soaring vocals. Other tracks are more urgent, continuing in the funk-influenced direction of Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection (Holley's 2021 collaboration with Matthew E. White). "I Am a Part of the Wonder," one of two tracks featuring Moor Mother, has a shuffling Afrobeat rhythm, shimmering kalimbas, and spaced-out trumpets. Some of the album's most gripping moments directly draw from Holley's storied past. "Mount Meigs" addresses his time at the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children, where he was forced into hard labor and subject to unspeakable physical abuse. A torrent of painful memories rushes out, carried by racing, rollercoaster-like drums and a dense, dizzying fog of horns, strings, and abrasive guitars. On the cosmic rumination "I Can't Hush," Holley states that in his advanced age, he's finally able to understand why people keep pain and traumatic experiences to themselves, but it's necessary for him to express himself and tell his story. The album ends on a puzzling note with "Future Children," in which Holley's gruff intonations are processed into a stark, robotic tone over jittery, post-minimalist recorder sequences. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi
Read Less
