Ehson Hashemian Finds Clarity and Purpose on New Album "Believe."

Ehson Hashemian is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Southern California. He first gained recognition as a founding member of The Jakes, the group that later became Young the Giant. One of his early milestones was co-writing “Cough Syrup,” a track that reached number three on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and was later certified double platinum. After leaving the band in 2009, he began releasing solo music, starting with the You Are Here EP in 2012 and the full-length Still Life in 2014. Over the past two years, he has released three albums under his name: Animation in 2023, Face Shine in 2024, and Bliss in early 2025. His latest release, Believe, continues this progression with a more direct and hopeful tone, focusing on personal honesty and emotional clarity.

A Shift Toward Optimism and Simplicity

The sound of Believe is more open and less processed than Hashemian’s previous albums. Most of the songs rely on guitar, voice, and minimal arrangement, with few added effects. Instead of building atmosphere through electronics, he focuses on direct songwriting and clear pacing. The lyrics deal with doubt and uncertainty, but without exaggeration. In the title track, he sings, “Got to believe in the morning light,” not as a dramatic breakthrough but as a quiet reminder. The album avoids dramatic shifts and instead stays consistent in tone, using calm repetition and simple phrasing to guide the listener through each moment.

Inside the Tracks of ‘Believe’

The songs on Believe stay close to their themes. Most are written in simple structures, with no overproduction or layered effects. Hashemian writes in a way that’s direct but not cold. The music gives enough space for the words to be heard without being buried. Nothing feels like it’s there to impress or distract.

“Feel” opens the album with a soft groove and a vocal that stays even throughout. The lyrics are about staying open when things are unclear, and Hashemian keeps the language plain. The sound doesn’t shift much, which helps the meaning settle in without interruption.

“Comes and Goes” brings more movement but doesn’t turn the song into something big. The beat keeps things going, while the lines stay focused on how thoughts come back even after you’ve tried to let them go. It doesn’t try to wrap anything up neatly.

“It Is What It Is” repeats short phrases with small changes, which fit the subject. The structure is a little uneven, which reflects the kind of tension the song talks about. It’s not trying to be clever. It just stays with the feeling.

“Do” repeats a single thought: “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, when you’re getting down.” There’s no build-up. No hook. It feels like something you say to yourself when things are falling apart and there’s no one else around to hear it.

Other tracks like “Counting On You” and “Standing There” carry the same kind of quiet persistence. They don’t offer advice. They just describe what it’s like to keep going when you’re not sure if anything will change. The title track, “Believe,” brings it full circle. “Got to believe in the morning light” is as close as the album comes to a solution, but even that feels like a guess rather than a promise.

Final Thoughts on Believe

Believe does not rely on production tricks or emotional buildup. Its strength comes from its consistency in staying true to its purpose. Every song points toward the same idea: trying to keep going when it feels difficult even to start. That message holds across the lyrics, the arrangements, and the way each track is put together.

Hashemian avoids dramatic shifts in tone. Even when the songs deal with doubt or disappointment, they do so without exaggeration. The writing feels personal without sounding exposed, and the music leaves space rather than filling it. The result is an album that feels steady, not because it stays in one place, but because it refuses to pretend.

For people who know his earlier solo work or his role in The Jakes, this album may seem more stripped back. But it does not feel like a step towards anything. It sounds like a decision to write clearly, without decoration. Believe does not try to offer answers. It holds together by returning to small thoughts that are easy to ignore, but harder to forget.

Stream "Believe" on Spotify, and stay tuned with Ehson Hashemian on his site and Instagram.