Ben Ripani’s Pangea is a deeply connected lyrical reflection on grief, regret, separation, and change. Unlike other song albums with disconnected stories of heartbreaks, Pangea feels like an extended reflection on what happens with a shared life when it breaks apart. And the name of the EP gains extra meaning here, because just like the ancient landmass Pangea split into several parts that became separate continents, relationships, identities, memories, homes are no longer connected, they drifted apart from each other.

In Pangea, Ben Ripani writes about the place between being attached to the past and accepting the changes. In his songs, Ripani keeps returning to the past, where there used to be a relationship full of excitement and security. There is a reflection on youth, the city walks, shared spaces, creation of a home, hopes for the future together. These memories are not fake. The love in the relationship was real – which is precisely the reason it is so hard to let it go now. Ripani tries to understand why this love could be damaged despite all the efforts put in building something real through distance, resentments, unhealthy patterns of behavior and actions.

One of the major themes Ripani touches upon in the EP is the destruction of safety. Houses, walls, rooms, floors, bricks and everyday objects appear throughout the album. And they are not only physical symbols of the connection between lovers. Ripani talks about the home that feels fragile (and looks like it was made out of paper) and at another time becomes a prison he cannot escape. The shared space becomes the source of arguments, grief, memories. Simple things like dishes, socks, bags, money become associated with emotional damage.

Ripani also draws parallels between emotional pain and physical restrictions. He frequently mentions the feeling of being trapped, held back, anchored, wounded or stuck. It is illustrated perfectly by the metaphor of the bird hitting the window. Freedom seems close enough to see, but unattainable all the time. The same is true for the references to the walls and rooms. Ripani understands that it is crucial to change something, but the emotional patterns created in this relationship still trap him.

What makes Pangea special is Ripani’s understanding of responsibility. He is not the only one who got hurt, he admits he hurt someone else. The lyrics contain references to his hypocrisy, neglect, self-medication, carelessness, letting something valuable slip away. This self-consciousness does not make the EP a story of accusations. Ripani discusses the different rules and contradictory emotions in the relationship, but he understands that any damage can be mutual. And both of them get wounded by this collapse.

The metaphor of running away develops this idea further. It first refers to youth and freedom – to the time when it was romantic to leave everything behind you. But later running away becomes the release needed and painful at the same time. Ripani asks his lover to run away and find happiness somewhere else. And it is described as the brave thing to do. Letting go of the other person is not seen as the weakness or a surrender, it is the act of love which means he understands that two people can never heal each other.

But the EP also talks about the impossibility of the escape to the outside world. Drinking, changing location, talking to strangers and finding the sympathy do not help to heal inside. Ripani understands that the world will not change around him. Happiness needs to be recreated slowly and carefully, brick after brick. Healing is still close but difficult, always out of reach.

At the end of the album, writing becomes the solution. Ripani is not able to save the relationship, but he saves its meaning in verses. Leaving everything in the verses gives the possibility to keep love, grief, mistakes and memories, but not control his future anymore. The movement towards light and home does not give the perfect resolution, but introduces hope.

Overall, Ben Ripani’s Pangea is a wonderful lyrical reflection on the divided life. It accepts that some relationships cannot be brought back to their previous form. But at the same time, it suggests that separation does not mean erasing the past.