“Earthstar Mountain” is an ode to curiosity. It asks what it means to live a life: how do we decide which direction to take? How do we stay there? And what happens when the rug is pulled from under our feet?
Once again working with her partner and collaborator Sam Evian at their home studio Flying Cloud, Hannah Cohen’s fourth full-length album “Earthstar Mountain” is a keepsake of Cohen’s time in the Catskills, built over the course of 2020-2024. As blurred, shimmering memories come into focus to produce a collage of echoes and sonic souvenirs.
The essence of a great album is the execution of an idea. Not in a technical, virtuosic sense or even an experimental sense that opens up the possibilities of a new musical world. But execution of ideas in the way of truthfulness, where the songs within an album feel inherently linked to the artistic voice of the musician. “Earthstar Mountain” is the clearest example of that I have seen in years. There’s a familiarity to the arrangements, be it on the upbeat indie of ‘Draggin’ or the groove-laden pop of ‘Summer Sweat’, but it’s all presented through the lens of Hannah Cohen.
Here is a wonderful live version of the Fleetwood Mac-y standout from Hannah Cohen’s excellent album “Earthstar Mountain”.
Despite whatever influences she is taken from, each song feels like an extension of her, as though she is wasting no energy trying to be somebody else and instead operating in her own sphere of confidence. This album just feels right; it feels simple, and at best, it feels meditative. It’s almost like music medicine that slows you down and crystallises your attention to be calmly focused on entering the alluring world of Cohen’s artistry.
The Fat Angel Sings 