Jonathan Ogden - “When I’m Home” (ft. Molly Parden)

If you’ve been reading this blog at all, especially lately, you will have noticed that we simply cannot refuse some well executed male + female harmonies. Throw in an acoustic guitar, a bit of reverb, and some lyrics that tug at the old heartstrings, and we will pretty much feed you grapes all day. This is the part where of the paragraph where we introduce you to the wonderful music of Jonathan Ogden and his very special guest, Molly Parden.

We have just received the track, “When I’m Home,” a single off of Ogden’s recently released album, Future Forever. While he has been known to blend bedroom pop with hip-hop and electronic music, “When I’m Home” fits very snugly beneath the canopy of indie-folk. The acoustic guitar on this cut is gently plucked, but with an authority that lets the listener know it’s going to be good, even before Ogden’s vocal begins. When it does, the listener may find hints of the vulnerability and honesty often found in the work of Sufjan Stevens and the like. And then Parden’s harmonies slyly arrive for the second verse, where they remain with Ogden’s until the song’s end.

At just over two and a half minutes, this song makes its point fairly quickly, yet unforgettably.

Ogden adds: “I lost my Dad in December last year. He was a pastor and I learnt so much about God and faith from Him, just listening to His sermons and through conversations at home. It might seem a strange thing to say but his funeral was actually really wonderful because it was a reflection of his faith and his hope. While it was a sad time of loss, it was also a time when I realised the hope that he had was real, but it’s also a song that recognises the ‘ache’ of a hope that we’re waiting for and haven’t fully seen yet.”

We think that “When I’m Home” is a wonderful tribute and one that should be heard by everyone:

-TM