Yes, No, Acoustic is a mix of old and new Kieran Cooper, from his previous release In Search of Reason, including my old favourites Awake and Over Me, as well as from his new release Yes, No, Sincerely, and also tracks from Kieran’s band, Kasium.
If you’re the kind of person that would rather rock out to the Foo Fighters’ acoustic performance of Everlongwhen you’re in your growlery than listen to the original studio recording, then keep this album on your MP3 player. As I’ve discovered, it’s a perfect rainy Sunday ambient music; something you play as you sit staring out the window wishing you had an umbrella, and that we’d actually had a summer this year.
Those of you that appreciate live performances for the variations they bring to the songs you already know will love this album, especially if you’ve heard Kieran’s performance at the Khuja lounge (available on his bandcamp). While the Khuja lounge tracks have a certain staunchness that comes with playing acoustic tracks to a disaffected audience, these tracks portray a certain vulnerability. The presence and the emotion of these tracks feels organic, tangible, real. An artist playing his songs to himself in his studio without the pressures of performance. Music from the soul.
The album is the perfect accompaniment to Kieran’s simultaneously released album Yes, No, Sincerely, where some of this albums tracks appear in their mastered form. Acoustic tracks are a photograph of a beautiful woman, or man if your heart so desires, capturing a fleeting moment in all it’s subtlety. A studio recorded track, played over and over, is more like a painting of that beautiful woman, or man, on canvas. A carefully crafted portrait, art.
Yes, No, Acoustic is available now on Kieran Cooper’s bandcamp.
From his soon to be released single and EP, expect rich vocal harmonies and guitar work reminiscent of Elliott Smith, Kristin Hersh and Iron & Wine.