SEE FROM LEITH ROSS’ POINT OF VIEW WITH THEIR NEW ALBUM ‘I CAN SEE THE FUTURE’
Leith Ross’ latest project, I Can See The Future, is a sonic, emotional, and philosophical evolution in a way that feels effortless and real. Their new album is also perfectly relevant, tackling a range of universally human experiences and emotions from grief and desperation to love and hope for a better world. According to Ross, the album’s title—a slightly different stylization of the closing track of the same name—has a dual meaning; while half of the album explores Ross’ personal relationships and sense of self, the other half gazes outward on the world and their place within it. Ross, I Can See The Future represents believing in a better future in a way that is both personal and political.
Beginning with what could be the thumps of a jig, the opening track “Grieving” immediately transported me to rolling hills of frolic-ready flowers with its deeply folk-rooted and upbeat sound—a far cry from the acoustic and somber sound that may have been associated with the artist. But over the strings, mandolin, and drums, Ross throws us into the deep end with the opening line, “I never will stop grieving who we are when we are young,” planting us firmly in the new world of I Can See The Future, but with the same philosophical roots. As the song goes on, we come to understand that this juxtaposition of sound and lyric isn’t really ironic at all, but instead reflective of life, death, and our approach to it all, which serves as the song’s tear-jerking message.
An excitingly unexpected start, “Grieving” feels like the doorway or introduction to the lens through which Ross began to see the world. Written several years ago, following the death of their grandfather, it’s easy to see right from the start how this album earns the coming-of-age label that Ross claims they’re likely to continue to make with every album, regardless of what age that may be. It's said that grief changes you, and Ross seems to recognize this, admitting that, even if writing “Grieving” itself wasn’t what inspired the rest of the songs on the album, the experiences and changes that the track dives into influenced much of the album and its themes.
From there, the album swings and sways in a way that works well from top to bottom, with songs like “Point of View”offering a moment to bask in a classic feel-good love song—a rare but treasured occurrence in Ross’ discography. In the track, Ross realizes they’ll never be able to truly and accurately write a song from someone else’s point of view, what it means to never truly know someone else’s feelings as your own, and they ask, “Are all my love songs all about me?” While at first it may read as anxiously wondering what someone else feels, it's a beautiful love song full of adoration, devotion, and the desire to spend just a little time in the mind of someone else to know what it’s like to love from their point of view.
PHOTO CREDIT: Shayla Loewen
With “Stay”, Ross sings about the beauty of leaning on one another, something that encouraged them to become a more active community member and friend. This is something that has become a major priority in Ross’ life, especially living in the West where we prioritize the individual over the collective and take so many things and each other for granted. This idea of connection was explored in the making of the album as well, with Ross finding a collaborative relationship with producer Rostam Batmanglij, who has since become a good friend. Over the course of working together for the album, Ross learned to take a more active role in their life, both musically and personally.
With songs like “Stay” and “Alone,” we get insight into the values and lessons Ross has learned over the last two years since the release of their previous album, To Learn. Cited as the most fun song to make, “Alone” was written from a very positive feeling found in a few different moments of their life where they were alone with the realization that—similar to what is explored in “Point of View”—no person will ever know you the way you know yourself, and that when you can truly know yourself and be a friend to yourself, it's an amazing feeling.
Having started with “Grieving”, the penultimate track “Grieving - Reprise”, the two seemingly act as perfect bookends for nearly the entire album. However, despite being an outlier, the final track “(I Can See) The Future” was the best choice for that coveted last spot, with Ross calling it “the beating heart” of the project. The song is written from the perspective of someone living hundreds of years in the future, or, as Ross put it, “however long it takes” to get to the world they are fighting for now. The song is an homage to the future that Ross is hopeful will come to be after they’re gone. An incredibly hopeful light at the end of the tunnel, and the most special to them emotionally, it makes sense that this would be the song chosen not only to be the closing track, but to be represented in the album title.
With a strengthened confidence and sense of self, Leith Ross is ready to face not only what is within them, but what the world has to offer—good and bad. Ross accurately describes I Can See The Future as the older sibling of To Learn, which perfectly describes the recognizable evolution of wisdom and understanding of what truly matters. This album is for the nostalgic and those who ponder the past, present, and future. Ross has lots to look forward to following this release as they gear up for their fall tour. For those seeking the sense of community that Ross hopes to foster, tour dates and tickets can be found on their website.
