Ariel Posen refers to himself as a roots artist, but it’s hard to put this album in a singular category. One song has a mellow, toe-tapping, rainy day pop vibe, the next, upbeat blues rock, and then a country-tinged ballad. In someone else’s hands, Reasons Why might feel a little too all over the map. Posen, however, manages to stitch all of these songs about loneliness, relationships, mental health, and time, into a warm and cohesive quilt. Like a quilt, there is something new that was always there, waiting to be discovered in every song. From the lyrics of “Choose” quietly coming into focus on listen five or the guitar sound of “Broken But I’m Fine” cutting through on listen three, Reasons Why continually surprises, and is an incredibly relatable and warm album. It’s perfect fall weather listening that you’ll want to come back to year-round.
-Jason Wellwood
4 out of 5
