As the train departs from Trenton Train Station at 9:30 P.M., there isn't an inch of doubt what is on my mind after stuffing my i-pod inside my briefcase. Ryan Cohen's newly released album, postscript. Perhaps, that's the effect an album can have on a human being if they listen to it long enough. Maybe, it's all of those evening and nightly drives listening to this album that rubbed off on me. A riveting feeling and look back at the past, present, and the future. This CD truly had my mind spinning in a way that I never ever felt before. From the profundity of his lyrics to the variety of melodic musical brilliance behind it. Evoking a sound too unique and high-quality for the average musical ear. postscript is like the sharp provolone oozing out of your favorite cheesesteak joint. It's not the sheen off of those Egyptian cotton pillow cases. No, this album is the full satin set. Each song having you thirst for more as I drive back to Philadelphia and than decide to take a couple more detours – one suburb after another. Now, I have no clue where I am. Dark roads and dim lights as I press play once again. On this night, the sky is bright – due to the litany of stars illuminating and magnifying the entire vibe, ambiance, utter feel, and even compressed spaces between each compartment of my car. So, let's dive into and look at this imaginary, dreamy, once-in-a-lifetime musical moments in time – right now – and look into the kaleidoscope of this masterpiece called postscript.
Ryan Cohen follows in the footsteps of nobody, except the body of his piano and guitar. Track one, “Paper Airplanes,” is the first jovial proclamation of his work. The bottom line here is that it's a feel-good song that takes the sad out of saddening making the happy even happier. Dominated by strong vocals, beautiful piano playing and terrifically precise acoustic guitar sounds sets up the relaxed ambience and overall mood for this album. In my opinion, the delicate beat throughout the song is perfectly accurate, especially when you're only 34 seconds into the song and it stays consistent until the end. To be honest, before listening to this song I was feeling dejected and my Starbucks coffee with double espresso wasn't cutting it. “Paper Airplanes” instantly made me feel this sense of comfort and happiness. Maybe Cohen was using a very cool abalone vintage guitar because he made the strings on his sucker sing as well as making my day shine. The title of Cohen's second song really says it all, “I'll Give You A Heart That Will Never Break.” This particular song, in my opinion, is about a genuinely loving and compassionate man that will do anything for the woman that he loves. This song can be interpreted in several ways depending on the individual, but not me. When you love someone, you will do anything for that person and go the extra mile, regardless of what it takes. And perhaps, even let that person go if it means they'll be happier. Cohen writes, “I'm the one who loves you now / and I will be coming around / to bring you all those little things / the things that you can't do without.” Later in the song, Cohen writes, “I will build you wings you could fly away.” So, you can see why my friend pointed to that line wondering if it meant letting her go. I said, “No and I'm 100% sure!” The raw beauty of writing songs and overall music-making is all of the obvious, idiosyncrasies, and all of the unexpected that go into it.
Ryan Cohen's first album, under the lilac sky, a rare, exquisite and deluxe full-bodied instrumental ingenious piece of work deserves particular note. Mainly, because it shows his phenomenal range and more importantly, describes why he's not afraid to take risks in his next six songs subtracting track 6, “wintersleep,” by far, the best instrumental I've ever heard in any musical circle and genre including hip-hop. Thepostscript set – the 9-song album accompanied by the very popular instrumental “wintersleep,” again, insinuated in there at track 6, creatively breaks up the album so you can reflect, think, and than move forward. I'm zoning out again – mostly to Cohen's indie-meets-uncommon-singer-songwriter crafty style similar to the likes of Wilco, Ryan Adams, and Coldplay. “Across Idaho,” where a little bit of country twang blows in the cold Idaho wind (with what seems to be paying homage to the eight constants of change) paying close attention to being in love in a state literally and technically known for winning the love-game. This really is a brilliant tug-of-war over what the true definition of love and commitment is all about! The loose childhood fantasy “The Hummingbird,” lovingly gorgeous “Evangeline,” and delicate heartwarming “Tracing The Stars” solidifies the different ways love affects the mood (up, down, and that entire gray area in between), but most of the rest of the album continues squarely in the singer-songwriter modern-rock-style-phase with an uncommon zeal and deep substance that only Cohen's magical lyrics can provide sparking a sneaky rich sound with a soft twist. He's just a different cat that separates himself from the pack of wolves. In all of these songs, Cohen effortlessly sings, but with his innate musical skills and tireless work ethic, he's a modern day Paul McCartney. I can't stand the word "unique" because it's so overused, but he's so damn “unique!” Go ahead and laugh! Call my bluff . . . it's true (listen to “Julia,” disc 1, track 17 on The Beatles The White Album). Then, please, listen to “Evangeline.” In this muddled rock-age we live in today – that's another beautiful thing; “When It All Goes Dark,” next to last song and “No One Else Exists,” sound far from recorded and the variety of instruments and background vocals hold up well – aging like fine wine, as the euphonious delicate sounds become more intricate as the songs near an end. Cohen really reminds me of a silver combination platter – exuding and resembling the sounds of Elliot Smith, John McCrea's Mod/Alt-rockers band Cake, Explosions In The Sky and than sprinkle in some early to modern-day Radiohead with the boundless work-ethic of McCartney and Springsteen. Now, that's truly sitting and standing with the Mount Everest of company! Cohen cleverly is a bit Pink Floyd-ish meets not surprisingly Explosions In The Sky at the end of “No One Else Exists,” which you never want to end! Harvesting these sounds as he throws his inhibitions to the wind unleashing his blood, sweat, tears and life pouring his soul into every rift, into every instrument he touches is really purely magical to this quite masterful ending. This quite astonishing album as a whole is divine greatness – elite, sexy, and bold with a deepness beyond description. This is scary top-billing. The LeBron James of today's water-down and cluttered rock circuit! The design of this album is extremely imaginative as well as brilliant too (but I'm not giving that away, so just imagine flying away) It's so RYAN COHEN . . .
I'm in the car again out for another drive except it's 5:30 A.M. and I'm pressing play heading to the unknown. It's the end of October and I'm thirsty for more as I pass by sugar maple and sweetgum trees filled with yellow, orange, red and deep purple leaves. Embarking on a peaceful and quiet ride until I smell sand staring at the waves that delicately echo from the edge of the sea. P.S. – I'll send you a postscript . . .
