March 3, 2011

Tim Cohen :: Magic Trick

I'll take the wide-eyed psychedelic pop wanderings of San Franciscans like Sonny Smith, the Sandwitches, Thee Oh Sees and Fresh and Onlys over the inundated hipster shores of Brooklyn any day. Whereas fads and trends have the tendency to dominate much of the independent New York music scene, the indie pop coming out of San Francisco of late has had a convincingly timeless tint. Fresh off his success with the Fresh and Onlys' latest LP Play It Strange (and its searing anthemic single "Waterfall"), bandleader Tim Cohen has thrown another fistful of sonic treats into the world via his third solo LP, Magic Trick. "What's the matter? You've never seen a man on fire? / Bring me water, if you want to keep me alive," sings Cohen on album standout "I Am Never Going To Die." The line is a typically humor-filled punch-line delivered with the songwriter's sly insight and melancholic disposition. Especially rich here is Cohen's voice, dipped in sweet reverb and delivered in a casual and deep resonance—a tone simultaneously warm in familiarity and refreshing in its distinctiveness. The album is out now on Brooklyn label Captured Tracks (yes, I know, geographic generalizations never really work out).

Tim Cohen - "Don't Give Up" (from Magic Trick)

Tim Cohen

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