Stephen Cohen “Stephen and the Talk Talk Band” (Independent 2005)

If you lay out what this CD is about and how he approaches his music without actually listening to the record you’d flee for the hills. He makes his own percussive instruments, asks participants to tell a story before leaving the studio and incorporates them into the songs - hold on though, ‘Talk to Me’ uses a repeated voice and snatches of other recorded voices over minimalist guitar figures cycling around each other, a home made Steve Reich. ‘Sliding’ uses lap steel and slide guitar, his own sculptural percussion adding strange tones to a ‘Few Passing Minutes’ which added to some Faheyesque strumming provides an excellent way to mark your existence for the time it plays. The pieces are adventurous and nod toward the avant-garde with a smile - less successful are straightforward songs; ‘One Child Walking’ is only rescued by some brilliant lap steel.

Date review added:  Monday, June 27, 2005
Reviewer:  DC
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  Stephen Cohen web site