From the start, folk music has been harboring a rebellious spirit; it’s a key part in an artist’s unfettered ability to bear the truth. To that degree, Y. Dan Rubinstein is a genuine folkster, unmoved by outside denominators when taking his stance on the hotbed issues that matter worldwide today. Although ‘Don’t Break What You Cannot Fix’ innovates aurally with its bossa nova inclinations, Rubinstein veers more into the lane of jazz-infused folk this side of Nathan & Jessie when propelling the piece as a means to fight powers at work.
Transfixing in the artist’s uncanny ability to conjure darkly images to mind with a hand raised in protest, its swirl of low-key jazz instrumentation works to set the stage for that mood to immediately permeate once his vocals set in. Waxing eloquent amidst heartbreak, Rubinstein establishes himself as another songwriter amongst the millions who won’t back down against the human rights issues that challenge us on a constant basis. It’s a mighty, encompassing tune; in that sense, it’s an important inclusion to the 2019 folk music library.