Hannah Cohen - Child Bride

A former catwalk model, Hannah Cohen’s glam lifestyle might be a stone’s throw away folk’s usual dusty surroundings but pushing her aside for that reason alone would be denying this NYC native’s undeniable talent. On her first solo record, produced by Thomas Barlett (The National) and backed by the cream of NYC’s musical crop (Sam Amidon of Bon Iver, Rob Moose of Antony and the Johnsons and Brad Albetta of Martha Wainwright fame), Cohen is stricken by love induced sorrow and loss.

Yes, this is a break up album but don’t let Cohen’s soothing dulcet fool you. Here, she’s planning vengeance instead of sobbing on her couch with a box of Kleenex and a romance movie – even if the Feist(y) saunter of ‘California’ sounds borrowed from the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack. From the start we’re invited openly into her romantic troubles. “I’ve cried all night and now it’s your turn,” she sulks on the otherwise gentle opener ‘Don‘t Say’ and the venom continues burning through ‘The Simplest’ where she calmly lulls: “Everybody loves you, baby, but you don’t see how.” As we’re mesmerised by the Emika gone acoustic menace of ‘Boy + Angel’ and the slow, dusty (Springfield) allure of ‘Carry You Under,’ she lays down the guilt trip on ‘Sunshine’ (“Did you forget her while you were breathing down her neck?”) and we’re left just as breathless as Cohen sounds.

Bartlett’s touch certainly adds a drowsy affect throughout which makes ‘Child Bride’ all the more poignant and (bitter) sweet. An impressive debut centered around a love wrought drama – especially on the tear dropping guitars of ‘The Crying Game’ – ‘Child Bride’ is for those who want Lana Del Rey without all the Hollywood plastered gloss.