When you are eighteen, you think you have it all figured out. Then you reach your mid-twenties, and once again, you think you have your finger on the pulse of everything. Finally, your thirties arrive, and you soon realize you had absolutely no idea what you were doing up until that point. From here, you proceed to move forward with a much more open mindset, knowing perhaps you will never have it figured out.
This is the beautiful mess of life. With that in mind, Singer-Songwriter Hannah Cohen could have easily slipped into self-righteousness growing up surrounded by a family of musicians and poets. Still, she chose to take her own path and make her own mistakes on the way to self-discovery.
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, as mentioned, Cohen had a good foundation of art surrounding her. Still, something drew her to New York, so be that as it may, she relocated to the city at seventeen years old. Spending many of her years in the hustle and bustle of it all, she opted to relocate to a more serene environment around six years ago when trekking up to the Catskill Mountains. Soon calling Woodstock, New York, Cohen found new inspiration in the wide-open landscapes, less hectic lifestyle, and within it, a new sense of realization of who she is and wants to be.
A life-changing experience that resulted in her stunning 2019 album called Welcome Home; you can hear the growth between it and the 2012 debut Child Bride and 2015’s Pleasure Boy. Both of those quite enjoyable listens bled the textures of Folk Rock; with Welcome Home, you heard more experimentation that worked out well for Cohen. With songs like “This Is Your Life” and “Dissolving” a part of the mix, you heard hints of R&B, electronics, and Pop that somehow seemed fitting.
It makes sense to call the record Welcome Home since it appears to coincide with a major turning point in Cohen’s life. Leap forward to 2025, she is taking another bold step forward with her new album, Earthstar Mountain. Set for release on March 28, 2025, through Bella Union/ Congrats Records, the new album is a simply stunning, smooth mix that should appeal to a broader audience of listeners hungry for something different. Sounding classy and refined, Cohen’s voice shined bright with arrangements that unite elements of Jazz, Rock, Pop, Blues, and Folk altogether. Featuring production from Sam Evian, Cohen brought in a list of collaborators such as Sufjan Stevens, Clairo, Liam Kazar, Oliver Hill, and Sean Mullins to create a diverse collection of songs that really stand out.
A total of ten tracks, you have the beautifully rich sound of the latest single, “Dusty,” which complimented delightfully by wind instrumentation, the Bluesy Rock single “Draggin’,” and the Country-vibed “Mountain.” There is also the very psychedelic inclination of “Earthstar,” where there is an array of different sounds to tingle your inner eardrum. However, brief interludes like “Una Spiaggia” also stand out before the Funk tenderness of “Summer Sweat” as Cohen’s voice soars high.
Overall, it feels like Hannah Cohen has transcended into a new level of songwriting and how artistic presentation. Considering this, the songs that make up Earthstar Mountain do not fit into one genre but blur the lines between several that make, making for an engaging listening experience. For those who have followed Hannah Cohen, it is a treat. For everyone else new to Hannah Cohen, if you like classic R&B, Soul, Folk, Blues, all and mashed together Ambient Pop, you are in for a treat. So, kick back, relax, and take in Earthstar Mountain because Cryptic Rock gives it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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