Luck Man

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Tim Cohen's Luck Man marks the first album in six years under the prolific San Francisco songman's own name. It's also his debut on the Sinderlyn label. Like the output of his concurrent bands the Fresh & Onlys and Magic Trick, Cohen's solo albums have become a little more mature and a little less steeped in '60 garage over time, but his sound is still respectably loose. His affection for psychedelic pop persists, as is evident from the opening track, "Walk About a Window," with an arrangement colored by organ and hazy harmonies. There are some '80s references here, too, at least in subject matter, with tracks called "Meat Is Murder" and "John Hughes" ("I saw The Breakfast Club and fell in love with the one idea: how can we act alone, even when we are young?"). The former is not a Smiths cover, but rather an original post-punk lament that was reportedly inspired by past work as a delivery driver. The album is guided by an easygoing trippiness, though, exemplified by "Sunshine," a melodic, meandering love song that slides through musical modes while lyrics play with the atemporal nature of memory. Similarly philosophical -- and affectionate -- "Irony" suggests that love can combat cynicism ("Irony is the last bastion of a fool who only knows the first meaning of the word"). "Breathe and Die" decides to notice the beauty all around while acknowledging an existential dread. Throughout, Cohen ponders life with a sort of make-do attitude that's reflected in partly cloudy melodies and a tonal palette that exhibits a restrained sweetness that leans into wistfulness. He's joined by a full band until the closing title track, so while Luck Man plays well as a singer/songwriter type of album, fans can expect it to fit pretty seamlessly alongside recent releases by his bands, particularly Magic Trick. ~ Marcy Donelson