Harry Kappen Delivers a Stinging, Sincere Anthem with “Good Samaritans”

By Kevin Malton, Editor

The versatile songwriter Harry Kappen has released 'Good Samaritan', the second track to be lifted from his new album 'After The Crossing'. This follows the brilliant previous single 'Distant Shore' (reviewed here). This heralds a new era for Kappen who recently relocated from the Netherlands to Mexico. 

'Good Samaritan' serves as an antidote to today's consumer and ego driven culture; borrowing from the story of The Good Samaritan from The Bible, this track is built upon the notion of selflessly helping others when they are in need, out of genuine compassion as opposed to self-recognition. It is certainly a noble direction to get behind.

Harry Kappen introduces us to the Mexican singer Danna Gomez here; she appears, albeit subtly,  in the choruses and her vocal adds a buoyant texture and depth. Kappen clearly has an eye for detail and a determination to ensure his vision for the track was fulfilled. There are shades of Bowie here as in his previous single but it does not overshadow 'Good Samaritan' by any means. 

The song starts with little fanfare. Kappen's vocal comes in instantly. Sitting on a backdrop of solid guitar work, the vocal drives the song forward. The production is clearly Bowie-inspired however as stated previously, it doesn't overshadow the track. Lyrically, 'Good Samaritan' is uplifting, positive and falls into the classic songwriting category that Kappen is known for. The guitar solo is something special; perfectly placed, it adds further depth to proceedings.

Harry has a solid background in music and it shows. A multi-instrumentalist, he has previously created music productions for Dutch television and radio. He is currently busy rehearsing with a new backing band in Mexico, with live performances on the horizon. He has a healthy catalogue of work with three albums under his belt, not including the recent 'After The Crossing'. 'Good Samaritan' has something that a lot of music lacks; a real, tangible depth and a real message. Stream it below and check out that guitar solo!