Making that move from sought-after sideman to an artist in your own right is a difficult shift to pull off, but on his third LP, Canadian singer-songwriter Ariel Posen proves the swap is not impossible. Having started out playing on tours and records for musicians as diverse as Lizzy McAlpine, Butch Walker and Tom Jones, Posen finally struck out on his own in 2019 with his debut, How Long. The follow-up, 2021’s Headway, was even stronger. But it’s his latest, Reasons Why, that really cements his talent as a strong lyricist and performer.
Across ten tracks, Posen rings a slew of emotional bells, from loneliness and longing to doubt and reconciliation. “There’s songs about relationships, forgiveness, pushing toxic people out of your life, mending broken relationships,” Posen says. “There’s also songs about mental health and the way we have a perception about how we feel, the inner struggles we don’t always let out into the world.”
Just listening to the lyrics, it’s no surprise that he started writing these songs at the beginning of the COVID lockdowns, a time of forced isolation and collective emotional unease. You can hear the vulnerability in songs like “Learning How to Say Goodbye” and “Always Moving on,” but the most affecting track – both lyrically and musically – is “Broken But I’m Fine,” which starts out slow but builds to an almost euphoric moment of clarity about being able to survive, punctuated with fantastic electric guitar riffs.
“I Wish That We Never Met,” is a beautiful send-off to toxic people, while “Didn’t Say” is a tearjerker about all the things left unsaid that could have saved a relationship. The latter song, though relatable, is unfortunately one of the weaker tracks here. But for the most part, the album is a triumph of stellar writing, beautiful guitar playing, and emotive singing. Admittedly, the album is a slow burn; one that takes repeated listens to really warm up to, but after that moment when the music clicks, it becomes impossible to ignore and is a record you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again.
