Brooklyn-based, multi-instrumentalist Sam Cohen has just gifted the indie rock community with a psych-tinged, ethereal, rock mangum opus. Cool It is one of those rare albums that brushes the soul with musical sustenance and embeds itself in our right brains.
“Pretty Lights” sets the stage for an album full of various landscapes creating passages to another place in time. The synth and reverb are hypnotizing on this track and give it the body and soul that it projects.
We move from one place in the cosmos to another with “The Garden”, which is perhaps the best track on this album. We get a mixture of 60s psych-rock, combined with a rainbow of sounds coming from the synth, guitar, drums and bass.
One of the more touching tracks on the album asks “Is this gonna last forever?” and follows that with “Is this what they call unconditional love?” If you’re not swept off your feet by this point, you haven’t been listening. “Unconditional Love” is a song for those in love or headed there at least.
Now we head into a completely different galaxy with “Kepler 62” that boasts its strong melodies, impressive guitar work, and towering synths. One of the more catchy tracks on the album and highly suggest as a starting point for listeners.
“Let The Mountain Come To You” is one of the more ambitious tracks on the album with an incredibly opening muli-layered synth that almost sounds like a Lennon track. Cohen’s lyrics, vocals, and incredible ability to seamlessly blend instruments and create beautiful musical landscapes proves his worth as one of today’s more talented musicians.