Seattle – Tim Cohen is at it again. This time, however, San Francisco’s lo-fi poster child is mixing it up a bit. With his project Magic Trick, Cohen released Rivers of Souls – an immensely emotional album, which I supposed you can probably tell from its title alone. Rivers of Souls opens with the warm invitation to “Come Inside;” while it might not be a literal invitation to the album its metaphorical prowess is decidedly welcoming. Cohen introduces Magic Trick’s third LP with his baritone voice and ethereal lyrics (“what would we know of this sentient life?”).
The song immediately identifies the album as more existential than some of Cohen’s prior work in both Magic Trick and Fresh and Onlys. The pace of the album picks up with the second track, “The Store.” While this song might abandon some of the calm mysticism of the album opener, it is a more definitive Cohen track. It has an upbeat demeanor without being necessarily “catchy” or fast. The mixed mood of these songs is actually pretty characteristic. It’s a well-composed album that, despite its relatively long run-time, mixes up the pace enough to keep the listener interested throughout.
Cohen really helped shaped the San Francisco lo-fi sound with Fresh and Onlys and he didn’t stray too far from this with Magic Trick. That is, until Rivers of Souls. With the production assistance of Phil Manley and Paul Oldham at Lucky Cat Studios (with whom Cohen has consistently worked), Cohen seems to have broken the habit of the lo-fi vibes. While there are still sparse moments in this album, they are more an intention of the composition than a result of the production. Each instrument and each part is clean and distinguishable.
Accompanied by the angelic vocals Noelle Cahill and Alicia Vanden Heuvel (who is also on bass),Rivers of Souls exudes a much more “mature” (I hesitate to use this word because it is not always synonymous with improved) sound. That said, a fan of Tim Cohen’s previous work might not be a prerequisite for enjoying this album. There is absolutely nothing offensive about this album. It’s not easy listening by any stretch of the ear, but Rivers of Souls would be just as comfortable in the background as it is in the listener’s foreground. Perhaps one of the most understated stars of the album is the James Kim’s drumming. He lays with a crispness that keeps the whole album methodically on track. That’s what this album is, really – on track for Magic Trick and on track for Tim Cohen.
Rivers of Souls is available now via Empty Cellar Records
