Chris Cohen will release new album ‘Paint A Room’ on July 12th.
The songwriter has a slim but potent catalogue, combining astute lyrical touches with a melodic flourish that dips into the psych-pop playbook from a fresh angle. His last album – a self-titled effort – came in 2019, and since then Chris Cohen has focussed on his production work, gaining credits alongside Weyes Blood, Kurt Vile, Marina Allen, Rose City Band, Cass McCombs, and more.
New album ‘Paint A Room’ is his first in five years, and finds Chris Cohen stepping back out into the light. Stretching his sound to incorporate a jazz-like penchant for chance – Jeff Parker and Josh Johnson both contribute – the record lands this summer.
Out on July 12th via Hardly Art, the album is led by new single ‘Damage’, which is out now. Butter-soft songwriting that offers a warming emotional appeal, the lyrics actually undercut this.
Chris Cohen comments…
“Trying to make something beautiful as a way to think through a problem, I wrote this song to consider the many forms state violence takes and the subtly pervasive habit of denying someone else’s personhood. We’re told that police, prisons, and the military are necessary to ensure peace, but like many people, I’ve come to see that it’s actually the opposite. I definitely struggled to find what I thought were the right words, to say something that might be hard for some of us to hear. This is my best attempt for now – my version of an abolitionist pop song.”
Tune in now.
Related: Foundations – Chris Cohen
Photo Credit: Kate Garner
