FLYNN COHEN
Fierce Modal
Deadstring Music
* * * *
Flynn Cohen’s nine-track guitar solo project is a true
delight. Cohen, perhaps best known for his work with Annalivia, is a man of
many influences, including progressive rock, medieval dance tunes, bluegrass,
and Celtic. But rather than trying to force fit his loves into arrangements, he
has the good sense to let the proper mood dictate style rather than vice versa.
“The Good Part,” for instance had a decided Celtic flair with just a hint of
old-time music peeking through the seams. “Poor Micheál,” has a bridge inspired
by Yes, but it’s a march in the style of the man it honors, the late Micheál
o’Domhnaill. When it’s appropriate, as on “Don’t Spare the Horses,” he lets
loose with a galloping pace that evokes a field of wild stallions. (He also
showcases his mandolin prowess on that one.) But he also knows when to slow
down. The next track, “Crop Circles,” is mysterious and dreamy, as befits a
tune named for such unexplained phenomena. He follows with two galliards–16th
century Renaissance dances–the first with ambience of something arranged for a
recorder consort, the second in tribute to the newborn son of friends Matt and
Shannon Heaton and thus more lullaby-like. And what better to finish than with “Dougie’s
Trip to Heaven,” a bluegrass tune supplemented by Duncan Wickel’s fiddle?
Overall a crisp album that hits all the right notes, sets all the right moods,
and it exactly the right length to keep us fully engaged.-- Rob Weir
Check out some samples at http://www.flynncohen.net/recordings.cfm
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