There’s a gentle sense of resolution at the heart of Son of Jacob’s latest single ‘Livin’’. Written, performed and largely shaped by Montclair-based artist Will Jacobson, the track looks at love, uncertainty and the temptation to live too far ahead of yourself, then quietly chooses the present instead.
‘Livin’’ is romantic, but not blindly so. The artist is aware that the relationship behind the song may not last, and that awareness becomes part of its appeal. As it plays, he uses it as a reason to be more attentive to the moment while it’s still happening.
Musically, the track leans into a warm strain of 70s-inspired pop, with a slightly theatrical sweep that gives the arrangement more character than straightforward bedroom pop. There’s a softness to the instrumentation, but also enough melodic lift to keep the song from drifting too far into introspection.
The influence of Weyes Blood can be felt in the broader sense of atmosphere and emotional scale, particularly in the way the song allows vulnerability to sit alongside something brighter and more expansive. Even so, ‘Livin’’ remains rooted in his own perspective, helped by the fact that he handles the vocals and instrumentation himself.
But what makes ‘Livin’’ especially effective is its lack of cynicism. It doesn’t deny uncertainty, nor does it pretend that love is permanent simply because it feels important in the moment. Instead, Son of Jacob finds something more convincing in accepting that impermanence and choosing to care fully anyway.
Warm, thoughtful and quietly uplifting, ‘Livin’’ captures Son of Jacob at his most emotionally open, turning a passing moment of love into something that feels worth holding onto.