Harry Kappen is a Dutch musician, songwriter, producer, and music therapist now based in Mexico City after relocating from the Netherlands. His new single, “Good Samaritans,” comes from his album After the Crossing, his first full-length written and recorded since the move, and follows his previous single “Distant Shore.” Kappen wrote, performed, and produced every song on the record himself, continuing the independent approach that’s defined his recent work, and the album carries a clear David Bowie influence throughout, a nod that lands especially now, a decade after Bowie’s passing.
Good Samaritans
“Good Samaritans” is a firm, theatrical rock song that takes direct aim at a culture more interested in the appearance of goodness than the act of it. The lyrics paint a picture of manufactured perfection, filtered images, empty catchphrases, and people chasing the idea of being seen as heroic rather than actually helping anyone, and Kappen uses that imagery to set up a sharp contrast: the people who actually show up when it counts rarely get any recognition at all. Mexican singer Danna Gomez joins on the choruses, turning what could have been a solo statement into something that feels more like a shared declaration, which suits the song’s message about quiet, collective decency over individual spotlight-chasing.
The Bowie influence comes through less in specific sounds and more in the song’s theatrical instincts, its interest in masks, performance, and the gap between how people present themselves and who they actually are. Rather than turning into another song complaining about phones and social media, “Good Samaritans” goes a layer deeper, critiquing the way even compassion itself has started to require an audience to feel real. It’s a pointed, unsubtle song, but the subject matter doesn’t really call for subtlety, and Kappen earns his closing sentiment by dragging the listener through all the artificial noise first.
Final Thoughts
“Good Samaritans” is a confident, message-driven rock single that backs up its social commentary with real theatrical energy, and it fits naturally into After the Crossing’s larger picture of an artist settling into a new chapter of his life and sound. It’s available now on major streaming platforms. For more, visit harrykappen.com, or follow Kappen on Instagram and Facebook.
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