'It’s Now or Never,' Says Ari Jacobson

Ari Jacobson struck a lonely chord this Tuesday evening, left to strum his Taylor guitar before fewer than five patrons at the New Deal Café. Of course, the turnout doesn’t dissuade Jacobson, a New York-based singer-songwriter whose East Coast tour has at least a few more gigs left in its in tank.

Jacobson’s inspiration — his “mascot” — is that of a tiny figure seen leaping off a cliff on the cover of his self-titled debut album. Overhead, skies of tumult jostle about as though they are the swells and waves down below. It is this image, a leap of faith, that Jacobson fosters the most. “It’s now or never,” he said.

At 13 gigs into his first, regional tour, Jacobson, 27, showcased several songs from his freshman album, subtitled “Songs About You.”

So, who is ‘you’?

“That’s a good question,” says Jacobson, dawdling over the obvious — a girl. From songs like “Dorian Gray” and “I Will Save Your Life,” to “Too Little, Too Late” and “Any Little Broken Heart,” Jacobson leans largely on themes of love among lovers.

So why do I keep swimming through the waves that drag me down?
There’s one thing that I’ve know from the start:
Being alone hurts so much more than any little broken heart.

Jacobson said his sound falls “within this folk rock idiom, but it’s not folk, folk, and its not R-A-W rock.” That sounds about right, although Jacobson also seemed at one with himself on a few particularly slow ballads that didn’t make it on the album, including “One Thing.” 

Jacobson’s command of the fret board is palpable, if somewhat diluted by a cutaway whose tones are more punchy than deep. Visually, he could pass for guitarist Jose Gonzalez’s little brother. Vocally, he sounds a lot like Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional when reaching for those higher notes. He also wears emotion on his face, squinting and frequently exposing his entire uvula to the ceiling.

But do not be mistaken. Jacobson is anything but over the top, which is probably appropriate given tonight’s turnout. “When you’re trying to sound epic, nine times out of 10 you will fail,” he said after the show. “But if you capture some whiff of reality, someone is going to recognize that.”

Jacobson, whose lust for the guitar began some 11 years ago, said he soon hopes to secure another six-month contract with a cruise ship, from which he could keep on developing his sound and reaching out to new listeners.