Reasons Why (Redux) Ariel Posen

• 1Time Can Only Tell (Redux)03:59
• 2I Wish That We Never Met (Redux)03:13
• 3Feel This Way Too (Redux)04:43
• 4Learning How To Say Goodbye (Redux)03:50
• 5So Easy (Redux)03:27
• 6Broken But I'm Fine (Redux)04:08
• 7Didn't Say (Redux)03:27
• 8Man You Raised (Redux)03:42
• 9Choose (Redux)03:47
• 10Always Moving On (Redux)03:50
• 11Broken But I'm Fine (OG Version)03:56
• 12I Wish That We Never Met (Demo)03:12
• Total Runtime45:14

Info for Reasons Why (Redux)

This is Ariel Posen’s 3rd set with "Reasons Why" produced by Murray Pulver (bgv) with Ariel (vocals/guitar/piano/synths). Recorded in Canada with a warm production approach there are plenty of idealistic passes in his music (“Learning How To Say Goodbye”). The vocals & music are well-applied. He even sounds loosely modeled after Jakob Dylan vocally in some tunes which makes it engaging.

Recorded in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Montreal, Quebec in early 2022, Reasons Why encompasses "reflection and growth" for Posen. The title refers to "the explanation behind how and why we act, and how choices can further affect oneself and others."

The album has 10 reasons why each tune could be striking. There are many responsive chords here that have vitality & are provocative. Ariel has the musicianship & skills with many of his melodies displaying a tight grip on performance formality. However, perhaps he’s following a David Gray, Dave Matthews path but there isn’t even enough jazzy improvisation in these songs to make them challenging.

Like “So Easy,” is ambitious. Ariel then starts track 7 “Broken But I’m Fine,” with a hefty splash of beats & gnarly guitar & this is cruising on a cool track. Mr. Posen is in the more distinguished arena of singer/songwriter Marc Cohn (“Walking In Memphis”) with his excellent vocal accentuation. Ariel’s warm voice while not being wholly blues-based does have lift, urgency & it’s impulsive under those razor-sharp guitar notes. The song title alone confirms the man has written something different. And that’s essentially my point.

There’s nothing wrong with Ariel Posen’s artistry. Many songs are put over convincingly. However, while there are some Danishes in the house of onions it’s the presentation that is often creative throughout & Posen’s expressive guitar leads worth the price of admission. Just needs a little more uniqueness.

Ariel sings about what most singer-songwriters apply themselves to. Their relationships, love gone wrong, forgiving, making decisions that affects others, toxic people, mending what’s broken, mental health & inner struggles.

Ariel Posen, vocals, guitar
Julian Bradford, bass
JJ Johnson, drums
Jon Smith, percussion
Marc Arnould, Wurlitzer
Keiran Placatka, keyboards
Roman Clarke, piano
Alexa Dirks, backing vocals

Ariel Posen
Ariel's music occupies the space between genres. It's a rootsy sound that nods to his influences — heartland rock & roll, electrified Americana, blue-eyed soul, R&B, Beatles-inspired pop — while still moving forward, pushing Posen into territory that's uniquely his own.

Along the way, Posen has received standing ovations not only from his audiences, but also from outlets like Rolling Stone, who dubbed him "a modern-day guitar hero" Music Radar listing him as a fan voted top 10 rock guitarist of the year and the Western Canadian Music Awards who nominated him for Breakout Artist of the Year in 2020 and 2021, as well as Rock Artist of the Year and Recording of the Year in 2022.

Posen began recording his last album, Headway, in December 2019, one week after wrapping up an international tour in support of his acclaimed debut, How Long. He'd been on the road for a year and a half, playing shows across the U.K., Europe, America, and his native Canada. Along the way, Posen had received standing ovations not only from his audiences, but also from outlets like Rolling Stone, who dubbed him "a modern-day guitar hero," Music Radar listing him as a fan voted top 10 rock guitarist of the year and the Western Canadian Music Awards who nominated him for Breakout Artist of the Year."

Coming back home to Winnipeg, he began sifting through the new songs he'd written between tour dates. Many of them had already been tested on the road, their arrangements whittled into shape by a group of road warriors at the top of their game. Practically all of them were about the process of evolution — of making progress in life, love, and all points in between. Those themes were reflected in the music itself, which presented a crisper, clearer picture of Posen as a songwriter. If How Long had been his introduction to the roots-music world, then Headway was something different: a sharply-defined snapshot of a musician who has truly crystallized his sound.

This album contains no booklet.