The Two Sides of Tim Cohen

iTunes Review

On the surface, The Two Sides of Tim Cohen still seems one-sided. Similar to his first recordings with the Fresh & Onlys, Cohen likes to obscure songs in homespun lo-fi production while adding to the San Francisco Mission District’s ever growing canon of acts that filter modern indie-pop through the trappings of vintage garage rock. But listen closely and you’ll hear a cerebral intimacy here not heard on Cohen’s other projects. “Amazing Visions” opens with hazy psychedelic folk as Cohen muses on his own death – or rather, the decomposition of his body right down to hosting worms in his head. “Haunted Hymns” bounces with classic San Francisco tomfoolery, recalling local bands of the late ‘60s while resonating with an inward innocent wonder similar to Brian Wilson’s unfinished Smile recordings. “Take Aim Goliath” hints at the catchy and shambolic style of songcraft that Cohen brought to the Fresh & Onlys shortly after finishing this album, while the standout track “Warriors & Clowns” is a hushed slice of brilliance wrapped in nimbly picked acoustic-guitar arpeggios.