“All the Way” – Karl Jakob | Review

Karl Jakob is a Swedish-born philosopher and music producer known for creating “genre-transcending” music depicting elements of indie pop, electronic, and everything in between. Starting off as a grand piano ballad, “All the Way” resembles those of artists like Elton John and Paul McCartney in their most stately portrayals of love. Jakob is so attentive to the lyrical content of this track, his silvery vocals a perfect complement to the sweet and smooth melody.

From the very beginning, “All the Way” is an expression of letting go in love, putting your fears aside and allowing the feeling to take over. Jakob says the song articulates his “inner battle between the passionate/immediate feeling of love, and the rational/long-sighted criticism of the same sickness.” I think this track builds in such a way that you can truly feel that breaking point. The golden sound of the piano throughout is relaxing and mellow, but as the guitar strums in, it turns more urgent and exciting. By the time the electronic beats begin, all three elements start to meld together, complementing each other perfectly. Then it’s clear why Jakob says, “this time, however, I’m going all the way.”

Jakob says his goal in music is to “use song-writing as a kind of therapy that can help me express my innermost emotions…pondering on personal as well as all-too-human themes such as adolescence, lost love, and depression.” With “All the Way,” Jakob’s ability to tap into those delicate emotions is unmistakable, creating a vulnerable statement of love through a multifaceted melody and lyricism. “How sad it would be if one’s romantic gaze was disenchanted by practicalities, doubts about long-term prospects, or the fact that everything ends.” And this is why, he says, he’s gone all the way.

Karl Jakob is no stranger to creating music, having performed in Swedish bands since the 00’s, and producing his own albums dating back to 2012. Jakob has since been inspired to release two EP’s, the 2019 album titled, “Pippi is dead. And we killed her,” and in 2020, “Floating heads in the sky.” Now he’s motivated to achieve his next big milestone: finishing his first full-length album. We’ll look forward to hearing more from Jakob in the coming year.

Written by Lena Hageman