In "One Human Being," Lily Vakili has composed a soulful meditation on kindness, resilience, and the small ways people try to make the world a kinder place. It's the sort of song that earns attention from the heart. Mixing the emotive storytelling of a singer-songwriter with the improvisational textures of jazz and the bite of indie rock, Vakili crafts a sound that's timeless but strikingly personal.
With Joseph Yount on drums, Seth Barden on bass, Eric Burns on guitar, and Reed Turchi on slide guitar in her corner, she constructs a fragile but sturdy arrangement that quietly pulses with life. Each instrument performs like a pure, natural, and expressive dialogue. One standout is Dave Mann's flute, which fills the mix with playful yet soulful breathiness that drifts like sunlight through open windows. And his interplay with Vakili's earthy, soulful voice brings a human warmth that perfectly reflects the true spirit of connection.
The song is also enshrouded in the warm blanket of Chris St. Hilaire, whose touches on piano and percussion deepen the mood with a gentle maturity. Off her latest "Oceans of Kansas" album, "One Human Being" showcases Vakili at her most vulnerable and collaborative. It's music that embraces imperfection as part of being alive. In the end, "One Human Being" has the feel of a conversation between friends, a song that gets up close and listens, reminding us that to be human, with its blemishes and tendernesses, is its own quiet triumph.
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