Spectreview: Chris Cohen – Chris Cohen

-LIGHT CORAL-

“Weigh the world on a scale
Tell any story to suit you
Like Jonah swallowed the whale”

Knowing Chris Cohen’s legacy should immediately inform you of his take on indie music. As a former member of renowned experimental group Deerhoof and a previous tourmate of both Cass McCombs and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Cohen shares a lot of their aesthetic: comfy, erudite, 60’s-inspired pop with a blunt rock edge. Chris Cohen, his first self-titled record and his third overall, carries on that perspective, though it’s notably softer than his previous works, hitting only a single moment of abrasion in the Help-era Beatlesque “Heavy Weather Sailing.” “House Carpenter” is Beat Happening’s unadorned love professions by way of the VU’s “Heroin,” while songs like “Edit Out” and closer “No Time To Say Goodbye” are all evaporation, clouds rolling by as a saxophone sighs skyward. McCombs’ influence is especially present here, as the album floats by effortlessly but certainly not vapidly, the arrangements intriguing even in their meandering. Of course, as a true indie pioneer of yore, Cohen’s lyrics remain comfortably opaque, taking up little space but available for interpretation if you’re into it. A harbinger of warm, cloudy weather, Chris Cohen is yet another lovely outing from a quiet titan of indie rock.

Recommended for a chilly walk on the beach. Don’t forget your blanket!