[rating=8.0]
Yellowbirds’ sophomore album marks Sam Cohen’s first foray into a full band collaboration since the dissolution of Apollo Sunshine in 2009. Yellowbirds’ 2011 debut, The Color, was essentially a solo album, written and conceived simply because Cohen’s overactive mind couldn’t stop writing songs. Not surprisingly, the release felt small and intimate. After traveling with a touring band to support The Color, though, Cohen opted to make drummer Brian Kantor, bassist Annie Nero, and multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman full-time band members. The resulting album, Songs from the Vanished Frontier, has a fuller sound, combining elements of psychedelic and alternative rock to the folk stylings of its root.
The album has a retro vibe but it’s not retro in the sense that it tries to directly recreate the sound or aesthetic of a bygone era. Instead, it co-opts various vintage styles and adds it to Cohen’s distinct songwriting, resulting in a new sound with hints of familiarity. “The Ceiling” features psychedelic fuzzed guitar riffing and a washed-out guitar solo, but its pace and subdued vocals set it apart from the acid rock from which it draws inspiration. “Love Stories” follows the blueprint of a ballad played from a malt shop jukebox, but it’s a little too dirty, a hint of barely concealed angst suggested by the distortion.
Songs from the Vanished Frontier thrives on subtlety, relying on visceral responses to story and tone rather than hooks. The hooks are still there, but they are subtle as Cohen’s distant, hushed voice. Nero’s basslines are often at the forefront, such as the popping rhythm of “Julian” that serves as counterpoint to Cohen’s jangling guitars.
Each of Cohen’s songs has a sun-soaked, summertime feel, but they’re not reminiscent of lazy days lying on the beach without a care in the world. Each track carries a hint of sadness or drama, like a summer vacation spent trying to ignore one’s troubles. “What have I believed in?” Cohen asks over the title track’s casual fingerpicking of nylon strings. “How will I deceive me now?”
Despite the full band, despite borrowing from different rock genres, Songs from the Vanished Frontier is still a Sam Cohen folk album at its core. Strip away the fuzzed guitars, vocal reverb, and country twang, and you’re left with Cohen, quietly strumming his acoustic guitar, his voice a barely audible whisper, as he sings to himself about love, regret, and hope. Listen carefully, lean in close, and he’ll share the story with you as well.
