by emma schoors
Ian Nelson’s latest track, “Unfinished Conversations,” is an excellent look at love and the self-destructive fear that surrounds it.
“Thought is so cunning, so clever, that it distorts everything for its own convenience,” Jiddu Krishnamurti wrote in “Freedom from the Known,” the novel that inspired Nelson’s second single. There are an abundance of examples of this in everyday life. But none more pungent, none more gruesome, than in love.
One of the first examples of Nelson reflecting on these ideas appears in the pre-chorus: “I lie to myself, say that you’re not the one… then I run away.” This self-awareness grips Nelson through the track, and holds on tightly until the very end.
Musically, “Unfinished Conversations” is full of tension, determination, and vulnerability. The track opens with the simple sound of crickets, a testament to the quietness that comes with having to be totally alone with oneself.
Soon, though, a melancholic guitar part cuts through the silence, and makes way for Nelson’s vocals: defeated is the best way to describe them at first. As the song progresses, and the lyrics turn to a place of positive change rather than one of painful stagnation, his voice begins to grow in strength. Nelson decisively sings, “Enough of disappearing, ‘cause I know now not to fear it.”
“Passion is a rather frightening thing because if you have passion you don't know where it will take you,” Krishnamurti wrote. This fear of the unknown so often results in unfulfilled dreams, unlived moments, and unfinished conversations. Nelson breaks through these barriers as the song nears its end, and listeners are left with an inspirational story of self-discovery.
Ian Nelson’s “Unfinished Conversations” is a confirmation that his musical endeavors are rooted in passion and authenticity, and that wherever he goes next, true love of his craft will follow him.