by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
One of this decade’s unsung heroes, Chris Cohen released his third record solo album this year, a self-titled record that captures his songwriting in gentle wonder. Built of warm psych rock, dreamy folk, and spacey indie pop, his music has always been the type you can easily drift toward, but it’s the small nuances and interesting structures that provide the majestic details. His new album is full of those kinds of details, in songs that float like clouds with mesmerizing tranquility but unpack a world of atmosphere amid careful construction. There’s a lot to discover and repeated listens are always rewarded with new takeaways and a deeper appreciation for all that Cohen does.
During the band’s European tour this Summer, the quartet stopped in at The Netherlands’ Katzwijm Studio for a quick Polygänger Session, opting to share one of the record’s most elastic pop-songs, “Green Eyes.” The live version is flat out pristine, with Chris Cohen and co. bringing a desert breeze of psych into the room’s wooden frame, locked in and mellowed out. Every washed out chord progression and arpeggiated accent blend together with the anxious rhythm and the dazzling bass line. The fluidity they achieve is something special, the song an effortless melancholic purging of memories and introspection built around those we think we know best. It’s the type of live performance that gives you a new appreciation for an already great record.