Weird Music Wednesday: “I Don’t Know When, I Don’t Know How, I Don’t Know Why” by Asaf Avidan

Genre? What’s a genre?

Nov 19, 2025

The beauty of Asaf Avidan’s Unfurl is that it’s less of an album and more of a highly theatrical descent into existential chaos, narrated by a voice that sounds like Janis Joplin, Robert Plant, and a very intense crow had a highly emotional disagreement. I first listened to this record without knowing who Asaf Avidan was, but was instantly intrigued enough to find out more.

Avidan treats genre like a mere suggestion rather than a rule on this record, weaving a tapestry that swings wildly from the lush, cinematic sweeps to the intimate, brittle heartbreak of a late-night folk ballad. The production is rich—almost decadently so—featuring sweeping strings, tight, jazzy percussion, and electronic textures that manage to feel organic rather than synthesized. It’s the kind of record that demands you turn off the lights, sit still, and pay attention (a two finger pour of your whiskey of choice is optional, but would be 100% on brand… neat, of course).

If you’re looking for disposable background music, you’re in the wrong place; Unfurl is here to hold an impromptu therapy session with your inner demons, whether you want it to or not. In all honesty, this mixed-genre format is the right fit for someone whose voice is so unique and expressive. Avidan’s earlier offerings fit more fully into either the blues rock or pop genres but present as being limited in a way not heard in the songs presented on Unfurl.

The first single and album opener, “I Don’t Know When, I Don’t Know How, I Don’t Know Why,” serves as the album’s mission statement, immediately signaling that Avidan is here to discuss mortality, ego, and the terror of being alive. Musically, it sets the stage for the album’s baroque-pop approach. It starts with a simple, almost hesitant Fiona Apple-esque piano line mashed up with what could be an orchestral Tom & Jerry cartoon soundtrack before the song quickly escalates into a frantic, gospel-infused crescendo, marrying the desperate, raw energy of blues-rock with highly polished, almost spiritual choral arrangements. I hear familiar notes from 90s artists like G. Love & Special Sauce but modernized for audiences in the AI era, and served with a healthy dose of nostalgia and a side of respectable hip-hop flow.

While the lyrics openly wrestle with the shallowness of modern existence (a truly uplifting theme!), the track’s dynamic shifts and layered production prove that even the most profound existential anxiety can be turned into a glorious, foot-stomping drama.