Take some good old garage rock guitars, a healthy dose of modern melancholia, Bowie-esque melodies, a little bit of saxophone sprinkled on top and you’ve got yourself a Harry Kappen tune. Sound like an interesting recipe for a rock and roll song? In “Good Samaritans”, we see the Dutch-born, Mexico-based singer-songwriter bring these elements forward in full force as he pioneers an indie rock sound that’s both eccentric and lovable. It doesn’t take long to grasp onto what he’s laying out for us, and it also doesn’t take long to get hooked into going back for another listen.
“Good Samaritans” doesn’t have some big hook that grabs your attention from the start, but it does have a warm chord progression and wistful vocal melody to whet the palate from the first phrases. As a lover of pensive indie rock myself, it was easy for me to be quickly intrigued, but for others, it might take a little bit more time. Either way, Kappen’s lyrics captivate both the musically curious and the ordinary listener just a few moments into the track. Kappen’s words ruminate on what feels like a sense of both jadedness and doom about the modern world. Lines like “Buy this dream and you’ll be whole” and “Magic words in neon fonts/Get the best time of your life” really set the mood. He is commenting on the emptiness of the overly filtered, social media-dominated lifestyles of so many in our modern age. Yet as we reach the chorus, it becomes clear that he believes in something to counter the tide of moral confusion in our society: Good Samaritans.
A Good Samaritan, as he describes in his blurb about the song, is someone who “steps up and takes action when it really matters, while the rest stand by, looking at one another in helpless bewilderment”. These unsung heroes often go unnoticed but are the subject of Kappen’s fascination in this ultimately optimistic work of his. While things may look bleak overall, Good Samaritans bring a bit of light to an otherwise darkening world, and Kappen mirrors this hopefulness in the more sanguine sounds of the chorus. The outro is an even stronger dose of hope, as he layers saxophone, a majestic guitar solo, and repeated vocal phrases in a major key.
“Good Samaritans” quenches our thirst for hope and authenticity in an increasingly artificial world, but it also acknowledges reality. Whether you’re looking for something uplifting or just someone who might understand the pain of seeing the world as it is, this song is a good choice.
Watch the lyric video for Good Samaritans and check out some of Kappen’s other works while you’re at it.
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