Kara Jackson: Folk Music's Brutally Honest New Voice

Kara Jackson, a 23-year-old Chicago native and former National Youth Poet Laureate, has released her debut album, "Why Does the Earth Give Us People To Love?". The record is characterized by its brutal honesty, exploring themes of agony and adoration with equal measure. Jackson's music pushes folk traditions into rockier, more disorienting territory, focusing on the intrinsic link between love and suffering.

Her masterful storytelling and arresting imagery are central to the album's impact. Jackson utilizes her wide vocal range and guitar playing, which serves as the very skin of her music, to drive home emotional weight. The album features lusher arrangements with piano and banjo, and includes collaborations with local artists like KAINA and NNAMDÏ.

The album also grapples with loss, notably mourning Jackson's friend Maya, who died from cancer in 2016. This grief extends to mourning relationships that have ended or diminished her spirit. Jackson confronts themes of death and the pain of losing loved ones and connections, questioning the very nature of love and loss.