THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL

Aptly named, this sophomore effort from Montreal’s Jon Cohen Experimental is truly a disc to behold. The 10-track album clocks in at just over 43 minutes and is a lush endeavour by Jon Cohen, a former guitarist of Montreal’s The Dears. The album is diverse with numerous genres and textures, ranging from Montreal’s signature blend of indie pop on opener Hold The Fire, to ’80s new wave on No More Videos Just Teasers, to subtle Hindu influences with a sitar on Lucky Number Seven. Throw in a three-part horn section here and a ton more brass there, Behold is truly a science experiment in music. I’m just not sure if it was deliberately planned or if Cohen made it up and had fun as he went along.

Published in Volume 65, Number 16 of The Uniter (January 20, 2011)

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