WRITTEN BY A.A.V.
There are days I’ve felt personally victimized by life’s unforgiving challenges and mulled them over with constant resistance and a stubborn head. I’ve yet to categorize songs and albums to play while juggling with work stress, senseless crowds, and middle of the night epiphanies on how I can miraculously fix my life at 2 AM. Thankfully, my search for a new tune is completed as I’ve stumbled on an artist that I’m sure you’re familiar with.
Indie folk and pop artist Jonah Kagen has crept yet again into another one of my playlists due to his earth-bound vocals, cheeky lyrics, and sharp guitar playing. Kagen, former Incoming & Outgoing cover star for Issue #035, is back again with his newest single, “The Reaper.” In Kagen’s words, “The Reaper” was written “about that feeling when life sort of smacks you across the face…Each little story in the song is a moment where I felt severely humbled by the universe and had to take a step back and remember that not everything has to happen right this second, all at once. When you’re movin’ too fast, this is the song to listen to.”
Currently, Kagen is set to open for the remainder of March with Sam Barber on his European tour and will return to U.S oil in April followed by a list of tour dates in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.
“The Reaper” begins with Kagen’s gruff and breathy vocals detailing what seems to be a mundane, somewhat ‘stuck’ routine of the narrator. Kagen is often applauded for his penmanship and visual storytelling through music and “The Reaper” is a prime example of his genius. Returning to his previous statement of the single’s background, the mention of gasoline, fires, and destructive behavior reflects his growth and mindset of that time. The so-called ‘reaper’ in the song is in the chorus, deterring the narrator’s volatile emotions and downcast personality to take a breather.
Kagen’s brisk but clear words continue to weave this chaotic journey, accompanied by Kagen’s guitar playing. When I first approached this song, after a meddlesome day of back to back work and errands, I felt immediate relief. It was the repetitive, “You’ve got nothing but time, you’re gonna live a long, long time” that paused my tracks from everything on my schedule. I’ll get straight to the point: “The Reaper” is a blunt response to those with so much to do to take a pause and slow down.
Perhaps there comes a day in my life where I can wash my hands clean of all burdens, but from what I’ve learned from Kagen’s “The Reaper”, I have all the time in the world to sort through them and breeze through the long life ahead of me.