REVIEW: Jason Shand — I Know (SINGLE)
Narratives are a fundamental aspect of living, especially as a coping tool. He ingests stories for catharsis and to expand our horizons and live vicariously through others. We also tell narratives as obviously a way of communicating, but also for a sense of self-preservation. We all want to be certain of our feelings, or how we think we know how something will play out, but nothing is set in stone, and the best you can do is hope. Jason Shand’s newest single “I Know” is a beautiful implied ode to those feelings, just as much as it is a ballad to an unforeseen target of his love and anxiety.
I have immense respect for Shand as an artist who channels so much of his palpable pain into his work, but without devoiding into naval-gazing, or even slipping into the “style over substance” trap. His style is subtle, and the way he uses very tried and true guitar work and drums, is catchy and seemingly basic, but his structural choices are inspired. “This never was my plan, never my intention” kicks off the track following some strong strings and drum work, which helps carry the song steadily before its astounding climax. Shand was recently married and since this is one of his biggest releases since his last album in 2015, I assume he must have put so many of these feelings of doubt and hope in love and crammed them into this song. While Shand’s damn near angelic voice is stable and steady, it evokes a shaky pain. We never gain full context as to what has caused this implied conflict that sees Shand damn near begging for this love’s affection, but it’s hard to see it as anything other than (for lack of a better term) hit fault.
“Is it too late to take you in my arms, is it too late to take back all the harm I have done”, he says. Often hearing words like that, it’s easy to assume it’s a forgiveness ballad in the vein of countless R&B tracks, but the surrounding content leans heavily towards his insecurities being the true perpetrator. Sensitivity has always been a strong factor in Shand’s music. He wants us to challenge ourselves and what we’re willing to admit to ourselves as strongly as he wants us to be challenged by what he says. Ultimately by the time the song ends, you realize that this is the story that Shand tells himself that even though he’s done these painful things to himself that have affected this other person, he repeatedly tells himself that he knows they’ll get back together.
https://open.spotify.com/album/2rsry5u6NgF7p17I1whHmP?highlight=spotify:track:1s10kzMKlmQJLUXRrfb6MV
It’s almost heartbreaking the way Shand handles it, because it almost comes across as hopeful in the face of a noncertainty. If you’re cynical, it’s easy to see this as someone who will still be left in the dust, but on the other end, if you’re the type who truly believes in love as Shand does, the story we tell ourselves will have a happy ending. We all know that.
Colin Jordan
