Okay, I admit it: it took me a really, really long time to "get" CocoRosie. I really got into the title track from 2005's Noah's Ark-- it was catchy in a non-sensical, silly way and overtly likeable. The rest of the album I kind of, well...didn't really care about.
To the untuned ear, CocoRosie are, at best, an art-rock/dream-pop duo who go out of their way to be weird and misunderstood. They're Bjork without the immediate greatness and command of presence. All of that is, of course, very untrue. CocoRosie (comprised of sisters Sierra and Bianca Casady) compose layered, ethereal songs that speak of other times and places. The muffled, mousy vocals, the trip-hop and operatic musical elements, the manipulated instruments, the clever lyrics-- these things make CocoRosie a truly rare act, full of hope and magic and vast discovery. And they are damn good.
What changed my mind, you ask? Well, a short answer would be the song "Werewolf" from their recently released disk, The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn. The track starts with a man's poetic voice-over and drifts effortlessly into the hazy, dense track full of alliteration and beautiful references to witches, horses, and heartbreak in a way that is poignant and frankly, quite lovely. After digesting the whole album, I can't turn it off. I take back all the stuff I said before-- ears that aren't open can't really hear properly, now can they?
Les Filles Casady were arrested on 8 May, apparently due to band members not having necessary paperwork and everyone trying to cross the border illegally. The rest of the US tour is cancelled, except, apparently, for a free show at the WTC/Wintergarden here in NYC on 19 May. Which I will be at, gladly.
CocoRosie - Promise
CocoRosie - Werewolf
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