Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears • Nina

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1Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 01 Instances of Silence.wav
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2Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 02 American Primitive.wav
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3Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 03 In Safe Gardens.wav
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4Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 04 The Seven Dolphins.wav
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5Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 05 Penguin.wav
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6Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 06 Del Mar.wav
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7Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 07 Heart-Shaped Rock.wav
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8Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 08 Sail-On, 1969.wav
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9Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 09 A Very Quiet Place.wav
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10Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 10 Otherwise.wav
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11Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 11 Chamber of Tears Part 1.wav
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11Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 11 Chamber of Tears Part 1.wav
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12Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 12 Chamber of Tears Part 2.wav
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13Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears - 13 Deep Blue Dream.wav
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‘Chamber of Tears’ marks the poignant debut offering from the Los Angeleno (by way of Buenos Aires) composer Alejandro Cohen under his own name. Here, the chameleon-like boatswain of arts and culture sheds the detuned mutant -funk of his former ensemble Pharaohs (100% Silk; ESP Institute), instead opting for a solo LP of high-minded melancholy, platonic playfulness, and sardonic sweetness. Presented across thirteen songs, ‘Chamber of Tears’ allows Cohen to act as some kind of sonic-farmer tilling and toiling the Earth, gently excavating deep-rooted melodies with an air of open-ended rusticism not far removed from the likes of Penguin Cafe Orchestra, or even Gastr del Sol. Gentle vignettes of guitars plucked and strummed often transcend into lush canopies of texture and unhurried contemplation. It is this dichotomy that makes ‘Chamber of Tears’ grandiose in its limitless exploration, yet tender in its sincere intimacy. “Instances of Silence” spills out onto the floor like an unearthed treasure box, filling the air with glittering dust for the forthright jubilance and lyrical instrumentation of “American Primitive.” “In Safe Gardens” bursts out the back door and burns across the lawn in crisp sunlight, into the cool shade of “The Seven Dolphins,” a bowed and jangly meditation that channels the same aquatic exuberance of the song’s bestial namesake. Furthering the animalian references, “Penguin” nearly waddles into frame with patience and quaint competence. The spurious simplicity is fleeting though, as the song morphs into a sort of Prog-petite. A-side closer “Del Mar” evokes the childlike composure of Penguin Orchestra, instilling a versatile sense of both complexity and simplicity in one fell swoop. “Heart-Shaped Rock” is a balmy salve for the soul, employing a range of instrumentation from classical guitar, electric piano, malleted bars, and other sonic detritus in a calming symphony. “Sail-On, 1969” brings a bout of tear-streaked melancholy that rides the crashing waves in a stormy sea of emotion. For “Otherwise,” the LP’s solitary substantial vocal offering, Cohen sings longingly with inner turmoil but ultimate resolve. It’s a sweetly idyllic portrayal of nowness, loneliness, companionship, uncertainty, and an endless stream of potential epiphanies. The one-two punch of “Chamber of Tears” (parts 1 and 2) wallow in a wading pool of actual ambivalence, while album closer “Deep Blue Dream” drifts in a lulled cloud of airy hums and celestial melody. ‘Chamber of Tears’ reveals that Cohen’s aural world is full of sunlight in spite of shadows in between.

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Catalog No. GN75

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Alejandro Cohen - Chamber of Tears

Geographic North

tracklist

details

downloads (51)