CocoRosie

Add Date: May 11

Artist: CocoRosie

Album: Grey Oceans

Label: Sub Pop

Genre: Folk, Freak Folk

Comments: Grey Oceans is CocoRosie's fourth full-length album, and their first for Sub Pop. It was recorded in 2008 in Paris, Buenos Aires, Berlin, New York and Melbourne as the CocoRosie sisters traveled following their The Adventures of Ghost Horse and Stillborn tour, and was strongly influenced by their time with jazz artist Gael Rakotndrabe. According to CocoRosie, one of their favorite songs on the album was inspired by a recording they did at home. "We were searching through some old boxes from our mother's past and found tape from the '70s that she had recorded herself. The words were in Cherokee with an old, creaky folk sound. ... With our mother's voice in the beginning and end, 'Undertaker' delves into a dreamy soundscape of bass clarinets and drones reminscent of the film The Dark Crystal, and you will find lyrics of a medieval vernacular."

Considering some way to connect Paris piano jazz, medieval vernacular, Cherokee, and The Dark Crystal would actually be a pretty good way to imagine the CocoRosie sound. Grey Oceans is smoother, airier, more melancholy, and more mystical than Ghosthorse. "Lemonade" is a good starting point, and suprisingly accessible. Also check out "Hopscotch."

AAM