Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Isaac Castillo – “Humanity”

Isaac Castillo‘s “Humanity” is a sobering, heartfelt message delivered in a beautiful, catchy package – the perfect stealth-bomb of political truth. It’s easy enough to write a dumb, angry punk song about dumb issues that make you angry – take my word for it! (See the upcoming final track of this here collection.) But to really take time to craft a lovely song that asks its listeners to contemplate their role in the slow-motion car crash that is civilization at this particular moment in time, while humming along and snapping their fingers, is something else altogether. “Humanity” is a bit more polished-sounding than the usual BoW fare, but that sheen provides a powerful contrast with the lyrics, which are brutally honest and unflinching, while still offering a modicum of hope. “Show me something better . . . I want to believe in you,” Isaac sings. “We talk of peace love trust and understanding / I want to believe it’s true.” We want to believe we’re capable of better, but we need someone to show us something to prove it’s possible. And of course, we all need to start with ourselves.