Boston-based singer-songwriter Sam Gelston has released a new full-length project titled See Through Now, a deeply personal body of work built entirely on instinct, emotion, and raw performance. Recorded, written, and performed by Gelston in his bedroom, the nine-track album strips things back to their most natural form, allowing imperfections and unfiltered moments to remain part of the final sound.
The record moves through a wide emotional landscape, touching on relationships, mental health, uncertainty, and the search for meaning in a world that often feels unstable and overwhelming. Rather than presenting neatly polished songs, Gelston allows each track to breathe with its own flaws, pauses, and human touches, creating something that feels immediate and close to the listener.
Gelston’s journey into music began behind a drum kit before he taught himself guitar at the age of fifteen. That curiosity eventually led him into songwriting and recording his own material. Earlier releases such as his EP Breathe for You introduced his solo voice, while Trees in Season helped establish him as a thoughtful writer with a clear storytelling focus. He later explored heavier sounds as part of the band Hands of Spite and contributed as a drummer to Lenny Lashley’s Gang of One album Pray for Death, before returning to solo work with a stronger sense of honesty and direction.
With See Through Now, Gelston embraces a more open and unpolished approach. The album feels less like a finished product and more like a collection of captured moments, shaped by feeling rather than perfection. Each song reflects a different emotional state, often shifting between humour, sadness, confusion, and reflection.
Gelston describes the project as a snapshot of his life so far. “Every song feels like its own moment of change,” he shares. “Life is strange, people are strange, and I’m just trying to understand it all while staying present in it.”
The album opens with “I’m Coming to LA to Kill You,” a darkly playful track written for a friend who moved away. From there, the project explores distance and connection in “Who You Are,” broken communication in “IDKY,” and emotional fatigue in “Lazy Too.”
Other songs, including “Somethings Last a While,” experiment with unusual phrasing and imagery, while “Car Ride” and “Meet Me Downtown” reflect on identity, attention, and the quiet pressure to make sense of modern life.
A defining moment arrives with “Make It Make Sense,” a song born out of Gelston’s kidney failure diagnosis. Originally captured on a phone in a single vulnerable take, the track carries a heavy emotional weight while also holding onto resilience and forward movement.
Across its runtime, See Through Now doesn’t aim for perfection or easy answers. Instead, it leans into contradiction, where humour sits next to pain and clarity exists alongside confusion. In doing so, Sam Gelston delivers a record that feels real, lived-in, and deeply human.
About Sam Gelston
Sam Gelston is a singer-songwriter based in Boston, Massachusetts. Known for his distinctive voice, raw production style, and commitment to experimentation, Gelston’s music challenges conventional ideas of beauty while pursuing emotional honesty and simplicity. Drawing influence from artists such as Elliott Smith, Big Star, and Jeff Buckley, he blends alternative rock, folk, and lo-fi sensibilities into songs that are both intimate and unpredictable. With See Through Now, Gelston continues pushing the boundaries of his songwriting while delivering his most personal work to date.
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