Jill Cohn - Seven Year Surrender
by
Paul Barile
August 2005
When you record a dozen songs and release them as a single unit, it
would benefit the listener if the songs were fundamentally unique. On
Jill Cohn's Seven Year Surrender, the songs all kind of blend
into a blur of ideas and clich้d breathy vocals and acoustic guitars. (I
just wish she would take a deep breath and sing out. The breathy vocal
thing was done before and better.)
There are too many women out there making music that is fresh or at
least tries to be fresh. Cohn seems to be rehashing ideas that were
diluted and unclear the first time they came around.
I have listened to this disc four times so far and have yet to find
anything about the work that speaks of the passion necessary to compel
me to listen again. The first time was exploration. The second time was, well, a second chance. The third time was me being fair. By the fourth,
it was merely professional obligation.
I would rather hear a less adept band where the members played their
hearts out. Music good music has to touch the listener somewhere
beyond the eardrums. Even if it simply makes you want to dance, music
should move the listener in some way. Cohn moved me to hit the power
button on my stereo. I don't think that was what she was looking for.
There is one moment a few bars in the opening of "Different This
Time" that seems to have some chops lifted and lightened from Aretha
Franklin but something. Then Cohn begins to sing and lets the air out
of everything.
This instantly forgettable disc will not get a fifth try.
www.jillcohn.com
