Vincent Poag’s ‘The Unknown’: A Journey Through Life’s Mysteries with Ballads, Gospel, and Americana

In The Unknown, Vincent Poag ventures boldly into the familiar yet ever-shifting landscape of life itself—a place both comforting and unsettling, where questions outnumber answers and memories intertwine with dreams. Like his previous works, The Unknown spins tales steeped in his Long Island roots, his youthful Broadway inspirations, and the complex tapestry of American music history that has fueled his evolution as an artist. However, this album stands apart, casting a deeper, more introspective gaze on life’s unpredictable journey.

Opening with “Use It or Lose It,” Poag invites listeners into a world where time feels like sand slipping through fingers, urging us to embrace moments before they fade. “This Love of Mine” and “Oh What a Beautiful Girl” remind us of his penchant for heart-tugging ballads that feel as timeless as the classic love songs of the ‘50s.

Each track unfolds like a chapter in a well-worn book, offering glimpses of wisdom and raw vulnerability. At the heart of the album lies the title track, “The Unknown,” a kaleidoscopic voyage into life’s mysteries. With lyrics like “All aboard, buckle up for the ride of your life, every twist, something to learn,” Poag captures that surreal sense of stumbling through existence, piecing together meaning from fleeting experiences and unanswered questions. His imagery—a twilight zone filled with stoned misfits, armpit nosepicks, and thunder-ridden skies—paints a picture of life’s chaos and beauty, set to a soundtrack that’s as whimsical as it is profound.

With The Unknown, Vincent Poag crafts a mosaic of the human experience—messy, unpredictable, sometimes downright strange, but ultimately, a journey worth every step. For Poag, it’s a celebration of the questions that keep us all searching, the music that brings us back home, and the mysteries that pull us ever forward into the unknown.