First Cousins
Noah Fleisher reviews the new release from Hilary Cousins
"Weekend"
--Taconic Press
Cousins is a refreshing singer/songwriter… whose earnest crooning on his newest release, brings to life a solid set of tunes that shift from pop-rock hooks, to contemplative ballads… full of ideas and phrases that made me think of early Billy Bragg with a hint of Richard Schindell thrown in for good measure.
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.
…I have no doubt that Cousins will be an enduring force on the indie music scene.
Cousins Plays on Sunday Night at the Town Crier
by Laurel Tuohy, News Times
Hilary Cousins is full of surprises. By combining genre-defying acoustic guitar with thoughtful lyrics, the singewr/songwriter is surprising audiences around New England. He's also surprising audeinces by being a man.
Cousins' songs are poetic and romantic.... His stirring lyrics expressed in a soft voice can be lulling and chant-like, or more demanding and thought-provoking.
CD Review
by Christopher Arnott – New Haven Advocate
Cousins attempts several pop styles on this engaging... showcase of his considerable singer-songwriter talents. I can hear traces of a lot of middle-brow balladeers, from Marc Cohn to Springsteen at his most sensitive.... Cousins is best when he slows down and lets his gentle voice resonate, as on "Broken Man" and "Best Friend." That soft, confessional style, augmented with simple, direct guitar chords, works far better than the artificial textures of "Richest Man in the World"
Live at Fire & Water Cafe
Performance Review by Alysa Phillips, GazetteNET Staff
It's often more difficult to get on stage in front of a small audience than it is in a packed house. For Connecticut-native songwriter Hilary Cousins, this challenge is not unfamiliar, but one he accepted, and with his acoustic folk and rock, he won over his sparse audience and even managed to pull other listeners from the street. Cousins, who has been performing for 10 years, could pose for a portrait of the classic independent artist.
Pangaea's a thing of the past, but continents are still colliding for Hilary Cousins…
ThrottleBox.Com
Sensual poetic images and blues-laden transitions embrace a tale of life experience on great debut release, Continents Collide. Connecticut native Hilary Cousins evokes a refreshingly honest passion in his songwriting and bears a striking vocal semblance to Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers in the opening track, "If I Let You Down."
"Fresh Tracks" - Zoggle.com
by: brucethanks
You probably haven't heard of him yet, but you will soon. Hilary Cousins' debut release, Continents Collide, is starting to generate the kind of attention typically enjoyed by major label artists. He's (that's right, he's a man, baby!) influenced by Bruce Cockburn, Van Morrison, Mike Scott and the Waterboys, as well as older rockers like Neil Young and U2. Cousins' music has been described as cinematic and evocative. Translation: he has a very poetic and emotional style. Continents Collide was produced by Tony Ungaro, who's worked with Marshall Crenshaw, Joe Jackson and Butch Vig of Garbage. Check him out!
