Ariel Posen – Reasons Why
Ariel sings about what most singer-songwriters apply themselves to. Their relationships, love gone wrong, forgiving, making decisions that affects others, toxic people, mending what’s broken, mental health & inner struggles.
This is Ariel Posen’s 3rd set with Reasons Why (Drops Sept 8–MFM Records) produced by Murray Pulver (bgv) with Ariel (vocals/guitar/piano/synths). Recorded in Canada with a warm production approach there are plenty of idealistic passes in his music (“Learning How To Say Goodbye”). The vocals & music are well-applied. He even sounds loosely modeled after Jakob Dylan vocally in some tunes which makes it engaging.
This CD has 10 reasons why each tune could be striking. There are many responsive chords here that have vitality & are provocative. Ariel has the musicianship & skills with many of his melodies displaying a tight grip on performance formality. However, perhaps he’s following a David Gray, Dave Matthews path but there isn’t even enough jazzy improvisation in these songs to make them challenging.
Like “So Easy,” is ambitious. Ariel then starts track 7 “Broken But I’m Fine,” with a hefty splash of beats & gnarly guitar & this is cruising on a cool track. Mr. Posen is in the more distinguished arena of singer/songwriter Marc Cohn (“Walking In Memphis”) with his excellent vocal accentuation. Ariel’s warm voice while not being wholly blues-based does have lift, urgency & it’s impulsive under those razor-sharp guitar notes. The song title alone confirms the man has written something different. And that’s essentially my point.
There’s nothing wrong with Ariel Posen’s artistry. Many songs are put over convincingly. However, while there are some Danishes in the house of onions it’s the presentation that is often creative throughout & Posen’s expressive guitar leads worth the price of admission. Just needs a little more uniqueness.
Highlights – “I Wish That We Never Met,” “Learning How To Say Goodbye,” “So Easy,” “Broken But I’m Fine,” “Man You Raised,” “Choose” & “Always Moving On.”
Musicians – Julian Bradford (bass), JJ Johnson (drums), Jon Smith (percussion), Marc Arnould (Wurlitzer), Keiran Placatka (keys), Roman Clarke (piano) & Alexa Dirks (bgv).
B&W CD cover photo by Lynette Giesbrecht. Color image by Future/Olly Curtis. The 38-minute CD @ https://www.arielposen.com/