Scott Chasolen - Living in Limbo (Self-Released)

A longtime musician from New Jersey who now resides in New York City, Scott Chasolen is a singer-songwriter influenced by the likes of Billy Joel and James Taylor, and his new album Living in Limbo was just released earlier this month. Although he is best known as a pianist, Chasolen’s living situations at the time of writing the album meant he only had a guitar at his disposal, contributing to the intimate feel of these songs. The piano is still present, but there’s a greater sense that Living in Limbo is a more spartan, stripped back affair compared to some of his previous releases, and this echoes the inherent melancholy nature of many of the songs on it.

If the album artwork isn’t a dead giveaway, Living in Limbo is deeply inspired by Chasolen’s own experiences with heartbreak, but he manages to save these songs from self-indulgence by finding the universal in the personal. Songs like “Limbo” and the soulful “Only You” can appeal to anyone who has ever gone through something similar, and Chasolen’s delicate touch as an expert craftsman creates a truly captivating and original artistic statement like the early folk of Nico. Perhaps it’s insensitive to say, but the drama evident in Chasolen’s personal life has made Living in Limbo is most mature and profound work to date.