LA musician Jackie Cohen's debut album Zagg is a very odd but intriguing thing. Sounding like something of a union between Rickie Lee Jones, The Shangri-Las, Loretta Lynn, Cyndi Lauper and Patti Smith if you can imagine such a thing, it certainly stamps out a specific individuality for itself over the course of its eleven songs.
Cohen's husband is Jonathan Rado, half of Foxygen, and like him she sees the musical past as an opportunity for shameless, brazen larceny. But while Foxygen have lost me completely with their recent releases, Zagg is far more interesting, largely down to the sheer quality of the songs and arrangements on display here. Cohen has a bruised romanticism about her. This may be one for those who remember Be My Baby as still one of the greatest records ever made.
While this is certainly an Indie record, maintaining a small, perfectly honed vision rather than breaking out into full widescreen Hollywood mode like say Lana del Ray, Cohen maintains her charm offensive to the finishing tape. She has a definite songwriting gift which is more than matched by her delivery. Should be one to watch.
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