Follow either Andrew McLeod’s personal social media feed or what he shares as Sunsetter and you’ll quickly develop an understanding of what it’s like to live with constant creativity. Whether bunkered down in Crystal Beach, Ontario along the edge of a frozen Lake Erie or pursuing his wanderlust travelling across the continent and living out of his vehicle, McLeod’s relentless music-making is less an obsession and more a necessity; for him, music is medicine. McLeod is very open about living with mental illness, and through his work as Sunsetter (in particular 2018’s expansive and emotionally moving Worrybody), McLeod manifests both the highs and lows of a manic mind always working, always thinking, and always creating.
“I Will Understand” showcases both McLeod’s musical dexterity and Sunnsetter’s detachment from conventions. All at once a slowcore, shoegaze-y, slacker-folk jam, “I Will Understand” is a “meditation on understanding why we return to the same old thought patterns and behaviours that we’ve spent so much time trying to distance ourselves from,” that still manages to move Sunnsetter forward musically. Fulfillment is the ideal, but McLeod knows intimately that getting to a point of contentment in life and art always reveals that the journey is far from over.
Wherever you follow your heart, follow the road, or follow your muse, “I Will Understand” is a reminder that the goal is not to make it to some final destination, but to appreciate and respect the journey that gets us there.
