Gregory Alan Isakov takes his listeners on a beautiful visual journey. He makes you pine for journeys not taken, for open fields not seen and lives not lives. He also makes you double up in pain, reminiscing as people often do. His emotion seeps into everyone because it is not complicated. It is commonplace; and the lyrics, subtle as they are, complement his raw voice and folk-induced country music.
That Sea, the Gambler, on the one hand, paints a picture of people on the high seas but at the same time, it injects a sense of tragedy. The protagonists' (for Isakov does give you a story in every song) pain is felt through the simplicity of the guitar strum and the imposing cello that dominates the track. Isakov paints the sea as a metaphor for life. "Oh, we were sea bound and aimless at best," "How I'd love to steer straight through the water, while those daunting clouds above begin to pour," is a person trying to navigate their lives through the cluelessness of aim and the difficulties of mere existence.
This track is all-encompassing. It gives you comfort in knowing that you are not the only one in the world with those problems. It also helps you confide in it so that you can accept the challenges that you are confronted with and are able to brave through them.
You can learn more about Gregory Alan Isakov here:
About the curator - Aarushi Aggarwal
Aarushi is a senior at college and is majoring in history and international relations. Her music library is as much home to jazz as it is to Indian classical. Her passion for discovering new music far supersedes other equally important things like finishing assignments on time. She loves dogs, coffee and chocolate.
