Photo by Will Scott
Pondering is an art-rock concept album composed, recorded, and produced by Caspian Scott. It’s been his personal project for about 4 years, using minimal gear in a bedroom studio.
It is an experimental art-rock album exploring themes of God’s love, Wonder, and a ponderous search for meaning in love and life. Much of Caspian’s music is inspired by progressive rock bands such as Yes and Pink Floyd, though Pondering incorporates a wide variety of musical styles and fusions.
Caspian’s compositional approach in this album is progressive and creative, stepping beyond the conventions of pop songwriting and into an artistic realm of inner thoughts and reflections.
Song List:
- Wakeup Juice
- His Steadfast Love
- Stellar Canvas
- I’ll Look After You
- All That We Imagined
- A Pond
- Tainted
- Master Key
#1 Wakeup Juice (Instrumental)
Inspired by the concoction that Dr Emmett Brown drinks in Back to the Future III, wakeup juice is an electro-acoustic instrumental introduction to the album. When Caspian was in college, he and his friends invented their own “Wake-up Juice” with passionfruit tea infused soda water, chili powder and citric acid. It was delicious disgusting.
#2 His Steadfast Love
This track is an ode to God’s love. It is structured like a sonata with an art-rock twist. Over and over again in the Psalms and Old Testament writings, the Biblical authors declare that the LORD’s steadfast love endure forever. The lyrics are about God’s unwavering presence, while questioning suffering. Sometimes we picture God as a distant shining star in the vastness of the universe, but in the person of Jesus, his close love is shown in his dwelling and suffering with and for us.
Lyrics:
His steadfast love is greater than anything
His steadfast love the mighty name Jesus
His steadfast love endures forever and ever and evermore
His steadfast love is power and brightness
His steadfast love defeats every darkness
His steadfast love endures forever and ever and evermore
His steadfast love is welcoming sinners
His steadfast love invites them to dinner
His steadfast love endures forever and ever and evermore
Like a star his love is still shining
Like a star his love shines so brightly (shining like a star)
Bright you are shining like the morning star
Like a star his love shines so brightly
Like a star his love is still shining
shining brightly
(sing) why can there be so much suffering
Well I will trust in my servant king
Who suffered for me
On a tree
So I could be free
#3 Stellar Canvas
This song starts as a grounded contemplation of searching for love in the night sky, but eventually blasts off into an interstellar space flight. Indirectly, the lyrics hint at the journey of sainthood, and the uncertainty of life after death. What do the runners reveal at the end of the race? The singer is eager to know what lies beyond the depths of the universe but doesn’t want to embark on this mysterious journey alone.
Lyrics:
Stand on the shore in an echo of coral bark
The seas are roaring under a void of dark
Look up above and see the twinkle and spark
There is love in the sky if you search on high
And we don’t always know the reasons why
Aye
In the artwork of the night there’s a precious sight
It’s you with the stars tonight
Left and right there’s another ordeal of endless space
What do the runners reveal at the end of the race
What they saw I just have no clue
I just hope I’m right there with you
Oh bring me cash and a telescope I’ll never see you go
It’s so beautiful
There is love in the sky if you search on high
And we don’t always know the reasons why
Aye
In the artwork of the night there’s a precious sight
It’s you with the stars tonight
Sing me a song that unravels the truth you know
In sweetened stories of love bringing life to the show
#4 I’ll Look After You
This track is a love song dedicated to Caspian’s once-girlfriend-now-wife Tabitha. It expresses the clumsy discovery of falling in love, and Caspian’s attempts to become the best person he can be for her. It is a song of adoration and a desire to steadfastly love and care for Tabitha, like Jesus’s steadfast love in track #1.
Lyrics:
Kindness so whole it fills me with delight
It wills me to make sure that you’re alright
A spark in your soul lights a candle in my heart
A handle in adventures about to start
I’m ready and new
To be with you
It just feels so true yeah
Happy or blue baby
I’ll look after you
A smile so warm so cheery and so bright
So weary it feels to say goodnight
Even through the storms you’re with me standing by my side
Hand in my hand praying through the tide
I’m ready and new
To be with you
Oh it feels so true yeah
Happy or blue baby
I’ll look after you
I will
I will look after you
I will
I will look after you
I will
I will look after you
I will
I will look after you
At times when I’m sad you speak love into my day
Above the cloudy grey a sunshine ray
Even when I’m bad you help me turn from my wrong ways
And learn from my mistakes and bring God praise
I’m ready and new
To be with you
It just feels so true
Happy or blue baby
I’ll look after you
#5 All That We Imagined (Instrumental)
Named after a lyric in the Yes song “Magnification”, a trio of bass, keys and drums plays a short instrumental interlude. It is about the adventure in taking new paths, and finding out that life’s richness of experience and emotion can be all that we imagined and more.
#6 A Pond (Instrumental)
The shortest track on Pondering is a simple solo guitar piece aimed to create a break of relaxation and a space of meditation before track #7.
#7 Tainted
This solemn song was first premiered at an arts event in 2022 to commemorate Rev’d Dr Jeanette Mathew’s new translation of “Lamentations”, a book in the Old Testament mourning about the destruction of Jerusalem. The song “Tainted” is more specifically about the tainted history of the church, its corrupt relationship with politics, its contribution to wars, colonisation, the exclusion of minority groups and even the stolen generations. None of this is Christ-like love, but an utter perversion of justice. The song is a plea for forgiveness, knowing that the only way the church can be redeemed is by God’s grace. It is also a recognition that the heavy responsibility is now on our generation to be better stewards of God’s church moving forwards.
Lyrics:
Father we ask for forgiveness
Father we’ve wronged you
Father we stumbled in darkness
Oh Father, what can we do
Father we’ve lost our place
Father we’re in need of your saving grace
The martyrs they died for your cause
But Father we also started wars
Father your kingdom was meant to be open for everyone
But instead we closed doors
Now we have caused so much pain
And all for colonial gain
When did a mission become a lie (a lie)
Oh stealing children from their families turning blind eyes
Father church history is tainted
Father we lament the mistakes
Father if we deserve anything from you Lord
Then perhaps we should die
But Father you said that’s not so
Father your grace overflows
Father your son died in our place
Father this is your saving grace
His great love is resurrecting
It shatters the shackles of darkness
Turns to light shining eternal glory
Praise be forever to Jesus
Amen
#8 Master Key (Instrumental)
This is the final track on Pondering. Master Key is an epic prog-rock/jazz fusion sonata. Originally composed as a sketched score in 2019, the music travels through a complex variety of time signatures and virtuosity as a showcase of Caspian’s creativity and experimental tendencies in writing music. The track ponders a missing element in life, a “Master Key” to unlock the mysteries. What is the source of life? Where is God in a chaotic world? Is there a chance to fix our mistakes on our own, or do we need the help of someone else?
Caspian Scott 