First Cousins
Noah Fleisher reviews the new release from singer/songwriter Hilary Cousins "Weekend" - Taconic Press
3½ CDs out of 5 For "Continents Collide"
Let's
see, how can I put it? Hilary
Cousins is a refreshing singer/songwriter who would rather
be straight than ironic, more honest than clever and who simply
knows how to put his passion into his guitar. His earnest
crooning on his newest release, "Continents Collide," brings
to life a solid set of seven tunes that shifts from pop-rock
hooks, to folksy melodies to contemplative ballads, without
pausing to look back and without a hint of judgment. His tunes
are wide open and they invite an array of responses. He is
definitely a player that is worth a good listen.
Cousins, a native of Bethlehem, Conn., describes himself as a songwriter first and musician second. After listening to "Continents Collide," however, I'm inclined to say it may well be the reverse. In his capable hands, his guitar is an engine, churning out percussive rhythms and tasty refrains that are as reminiscent of Paul Westerberg as they are of Tom Petty.
The stories that Cousins tells in his songs are candid observations about the standard themes: love and money, commitment and fear. Upon closer scrutiny they reveal levels of introspection and contemplation on divine themes, which sometimes works for Cousins and sometimes fails to deliver the punch that his driving guitar playing does.
One gets the impression while listening to Cousins that he is a songwriter with good things yet to come, one who is finding his voice amidst a sea of artful ideas and who needs to know when to simplify and when to look deeper. I have no doubt that Cousins will be an enduring force on the indie music scene, whether with his own recording or when another artist includes one of his tunes on their own record, it's just a question of when.
"Continents Collide" opens with "If I Let You Down," a jangling pop song that has garnered Cousins attention on independent radio and across the Internet. He moves from a stirring love song, "Sound of Splashing Water," to the musical and emotional center of the album, "When I Hear Your Voice," a track on which Cousins is clearly at his best.
With soul-searching lyrics and a musical hook worthy of any of his contemporaries, "When I Hear Your Voice" may be an ode to a long lost lover or it might be the final prayer of a seeker looking for salvation. The idea of redemption is a question that Cousins leaves hanging at the end of the tune, allowing the listener to decide the song's ultimate meaning, a musical decision which increases the song's impact.
Cousins moves on to the funky "Richest Man in the World" next, a tune which showcases his producing skills and again rides the line between the temporal and the spiritual.
"Continents Collide" ends with a trio of tunes that sees Cousins in full control musically, while having a bit of a time making his works fit the tune. "Canada," "Broken Man" and "Best Friend" are all songs with tremendous potential, full of ideas and phrases that made me think of early Billy Bragg with a hint of Richard Schindell thrown in for good measure, but whose ideas just begin to gel when the tunes end.
"Continents Collide" can be purchased at Cousins' Web site, www.hilarycousins.com , or you can go into your local record store and demand they stock it. Cousins is currently working on a full-length CD, songs from which I'm sure he'll play Sunday night at the Towne Crier in Pawling when he opens for Irish singing sensation Eleanor McEvoy at 8 p.m.
Hilary Cousins is a songwriter to look out for. Sunday night should be a good opportunity to catch an artist with great potential in an intimate and charmed setting.
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Noah Fleisher doesn't write songs. He only wishes he did.
