Some artists just have a knack when it comes to making music that sounds timeless and modern at the same time. On Israeli based singer-songwriter Adi-Keshet Cohen’s debut album, Battleships, we witness this statement firsthand. Crafting songs that hold true to the test of time is no easy feat, especially in an era of music that seemingly feels too well polished to be real, Adi-Keshet Cohen finds a way to keep the human emotion that makes her music feel real while crafting her songs. Battleships finds Adi-Keshet Cohen in great company, as she draws inspiration from the classic singer-songwriters of the 60’s, but also sees her borrow a lot of stylistic choices from various 90’s Alternative female singer songwriters. Cohen is able to breathe a new breath of life into these inspirations which may feel a little drawn out on paper, thanks to her beautiful string and piano arrangements throughout this record and her fantastic, lush and emotionally charged voice. It’s the sort of thing that feels fresh, but classic at the same time. Battleships is a perfect example of something that would have sounded good 40 years in the past, sounds good now, and will continue to sound fresh 40 years into the future.
Throughout Battleships, the most exciting moments come to us by way of Adi-Keshet Cohen’s vocal performances as a whole. Cohen has a very inviting and intriguing voice throughout the entirety of this record. ‘Different Sun’ is a prime example of how Cohen uses her voice to propel a song and make the instrumental feel that much more spectacular, as she is able to really let her emotion shine along with the great string and piano arrangements on the track. It feels like a true creative explosion took over her on the track and is really a changing point, and feels triumphant in its own way. When the track allows her, Cohen creates this space that allows the listener to break free and let go of their own insecurities in life, if only for a second.
Lyrically, most of these tracks seem to center themselves around relationships and the insecurities that arise within a person as they are going through the process of getting to know someone, as they have to get to know themselves again almost in a way. While writing, Adi-Keshet Cohen really plays into some common themes that kind of tie her tracks and her albums together, as we see references to places that could be defined as ‘infinite’ such as the sea or the sky. These are both wide open places with so much to explore that it may seem pointless or taxing for someone to explore them, just as getting to know someone is this infinite process with various outcomes to the situation. It feels like a very unique take on relationships as a whole, and I’m glad that Adi-Keshet Cohen wrote these songs that explore this topic in a unique way that only she could possibly think of.
Battleships is a prime example of a record that uses its influences to its advantage and pays respect to them while trying to pave its own path. Adi-Keshet Cohen has a voice that will absolutely make you take flight wherever you are, exploring this vast and desolate world while you float, finding various gems in the process. You can tell that Battleships is written and recorded by a person who really wants to preserve the music that came before it and inspire future generations to want to do the same.
Favorite Tracks: Different Sun, Battleships
Least Favorite Tracks: Sincere (Bless Me Now)
Rating: 7.4/10
Listen to 'Battleships' from Adi-Keshet Cohen's debut record, Battleships, below: