Molly-Jane Gain

““Beautiful Nothing,” by Molly-Jane Gain: This is a stark and beautiful video, shot in black and white and capturing the sense of loneliness and wistfulness inherent in Gain’s heartrending song. In a lot of ways, both the song and the video are straightforward pieces of work, but they both contain an immense amount of emotional content, and their combination just multiplies that feeling.”

“With “What You Never Had,” singer-songwriter Molly-Jane Gain straddles a lot of musical lines. It’s essentially a folk song, but it’s produced like a pop song. She rests on her considerable strengths as a singer – particularly in the chorus – but transitions easily into a low-key rap for the verses. Moreover, she manages to meld all this in the space of a scaled down song that feels immensely raw and personal.

“They say you can’t miss/What you never had,” sings Gain, at the song’s start, “But I had you once/And I want you back.” At first blush, the listener might think this is a song about a romantic partner, but it becomes apparent soon that the persona is talking about her absent father.

“Go fish, shoot the (expletive),/ Watch ‘Planet of the Apes’/I don’t wanna relive memories/Watching them all on tape,” raps Gain. The transition from song to a more spoken cadence feels organic, and creates layers in what is on many levels a relatively simple song. “I feel like you don’t know me/It’s difficult to relate/But if you wanna get together/Just give me the time and place.”

There’s a plaintive, desperate quality to the song, a sense that something might be broken beyond repair. Gain sells it all with a modicum of earnestness and her dexterous singing voice, which captures every nuance of heartbreak nestled in the song.

“I used to believe you hung the moon,” raps Gain, “Now I’m wandering in the dark/Still dream of home with you and mom/Before we were torn apart/Life was tough back then/You know it’s only getting harder/But just because I’m older now/Doesn’t mean I don’t need a father.””