~by Gabe McBride
79
It’s been an embarrassment of riches at PoP in February, and Yellowbirds, Apollo Sunshine leader, Sam Cohen’s new going concern, is adding to the good times ‘round these parts. The difference between Cohen’s two bands could be best described as a different path in the same forest , as opposed to a different continent (he didn’t drop Apollo Sunshine’s Beatles-ish psych/folk to explore his speed metal side). That is to say, both Yellowbirds and Apollo Sunshine are 60’s influenced pop bands, with the latter leaning more towards fuzzy, but easy-going, kaleidoscopic tunes and the former going the Buffalo Springfield route, with country tinged music hall psychedelia-lite.
Cohen’s voice is silky smooth and he sounds a good deal like Roy Orbison, with his plaintive, soulful moan, which suits the slower numbers (‘Ring in the Trees’, title track ‘The Color’) quite well. Cohen pulls some big hooks out of his repertoire, and rarely overplays them, letting the songs breathe and move organically. I know this kind of stuff dates back, and at this point is hardly what could be called original, but I have to admit to being a sucker for this kind of music, even if it is more 'Ricky Nelson' than 'Gram Parsons'.
For Fans of: Wilco, The Botticellis
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