We are living the strangest of times and not only because of the pandemic, that just made it worst: The new generations are facing severe problems, internal problems like mental health and external problems like racism and climate changes. Joel Ansett is a singer-songwriter Denver CO born-and-raised and is releasing his first single of 2021 Just Fine, the second off of his new-to-come album, after Ease. The new single is about one of these problems and it is exposed in such a beautiful way we hope it helps anyone out there.
Since 2012, Joel Ansett has been releasing great folk-based songs, debuting with The Living Room EP, a 6-piece album starring The Garden-City and Known & Loved which closes the EP and it’s a gorgeous ballad that has it all: piano, a smoothly played guitar and vocals harmonies, building up in a warm and tender melody encapsulated by an acapella “choir”. Almost 9 years after, Ansett sings about new themes and embodies his songs with modern and deeper arrangements even though his voice remains smooth, clear, and heartful.
This all makes even more sense when the lyrics are this personal and sensitive. Joel says he wrote Just Fine after realizing his friend was going through chronic pain. “We would get together and they would look completely healthy and happy, and then they would share that at that moment they’re dealing with a level 7 or 8 pain… Unseen pain,” says Ansett. “I’m sitting right across from them and without them sharing that, I would have had no idea.” Going from this experience to Just Fine, Ansett connects it with other similar stories and came out with extremely kind and relatable words put together to build this violent song -in the sense of how it breaks every wall of stigmas and hidden feelings and emotions- even though every moment seem to be peaceful and relaxing.
The way Joel innovated his composition is brilliant, using his guitar to create exciting samples and giving huge depth to it with echoed bass lines and spacious drums. It happened in Ease and it’s shown again in Just Fine. Apparently “basic folk” is not his thing anymore but we don’t care, we love it this way!
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