Boston artist Sam Gelston has never been interested in perfection, and See Through Now makes that philosophy impossible to ignore. The self-recorded nine track album strips songwriting back to its emotional essentials, inviting listeners into a world where mistakes become moments of connection rather than flaws to be erased.
Built across alternative rock, folk, and lo-fi textures, the record balances delicate melodies with conversational lyricism. Gelston approaches deeply personal subjects without theatricality, allowing stories about relationships, depression, mortality, and identity to unfold naturally. His performances feel less like carefully rehearsed takes and more like private thoughts shared in real time.
Tracks such as “Who You Are” and “Lazy Too” reveal an artist wrestling with emotional exhaustion while refusing to abandon hope altogether. Elsewhere, “Car Ride” and “Meet Me Downtown” question the pressures of modern life and the increasingly blurred line between authenticity and performance. Even when the themes become heavy, Gelston’s dry humour continues to surface, giving the album an unexpectedly light touch.
The emotional centre arrives with “Make It Make Sense,” inspired by Gelston’s kidney failure diagnosis and preserved from an original iPhone demo. Rather than polishing away the rawness, he allows the recording to exist exactly as it happened, creating one of the album’s most affecting moments. That commitment to honesty defines every aspect of the project, from its production choices to its songwriting.
See Through Now is an album that succeeds because it never tries to manufacture emotion. Sam Gelston trusts that vulnerability speaks for itself, and the result is a deeply intimate release that quietly lingers long after its final notes have faded.