For years, Nick Hakim has been trying to run away from himself. “Every record I’ve made feels necessary, like an escape, or a purge of…” he begins, trailing off. In conversation, Hakim is remarkably thoughtful, constantly doubling back on his own trains of thought, questioning his previous statements, and searching for the precise language to describe his internal state. It is this exact difficulty in articulating his personal evolution that has driven him to express himself through music instead.
The concept of a “purge”—a cleansing or purification—has long been central to Hakim’s artistic philosophy. While his early work, such as Where will we go? and Will this make me good?, echoed the litany of a soul seeking redemption, his 2026 album, I Can See, serves as a definitive statement. Yet, the title is more of an aspiration than a declaration of fact. Despite being nearly three years sober, Hakim notes that the record’s title is somewhat ironic. “I feel like I Can See sounds like a sobriety album, but it really came from the opposite place,” he explains.
The Chaos of Creation
I Can See was born from a six-year gestation period. The title track was written in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, amidst a period of significant personal upheaval. After leaving a long-term relationship and his apartment, Hakim retreated to a friend’s place with a minimalist recording setup. He admits that parts of the album are a blur, recorded while he was deep in a haze of substance use. “I was coping,” he says. “Addiction is something that runs in my family, and I’ve struggled with it for a long time.”
The creative process was further complicated by professional friction. Having signed a three-album contract with ATO in 2016, Hakim felt trapped by his obligations. While he managed to release Cometa in eight months to fulfill his contract, he was simultaneously working on the demos that would eventually become I Can See. Recording at Sonic Ranch, he found himself juggling two distinct creative paths: one defined by the pressure of a label contract and another by a desperate, internal need for artistic freedom.
A Study in Duality
Musically, I Can See stands as some of Hakim’s most eclectic work. From his early RnB-inflected bedroom productions to collaborations with artists like Aaron Dessner (who has worked with various collaborators in the scene), Hakim has always maintained a unique sonic universe. His approach remains one of “less is more,” utilizing sparse guitar riffs and piano parts to anchor complex, layered vocal arrangements.
The album functions as a study in duality. The first half captures the confusion and claustrophobia of his past, while the latter half signals an emergence into the light. Songs like “Real Here Now” oscillate between the spookiness of ghost stories and the grounding reality of personal growth. As the production clears, so too does the narrative, moving from the muddy, distorted sounds of his addiction to the cleaner, more audible realizations of his present.
Ultimately, I Can See is an expression of a man looking back at a former self that barely exists anymore. By embracing the journey rather than seeking a definitive answer, Hakim has crafted a work that is as confounding as it is enthralling. He remains one of the most compelling producers at work today, proving that the most fruitful path is often the one that spirals deeper into the self.
I Can See is out now on Earseed Records.
