{"id":6261,"date":"2023-12-06T06:52:42","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T06:52:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/?p=6261"},"modified":"2023-12-07T06:59:28","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T06:59:28","slug":"ep-review-the-darkside-of-christmas-ch-2-collette-cooper-words-sammy-stein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/2023\/12\/06\/ep-review-the-darkside-of-christmas-ch-2-collette-cooper-words-sammy-stein\/","title":{"rendered":"EP Review: &#8220;The Darkside Of Christmas Ch. 2&#8221; &#8211; Collette Cooper. Words: Sammy Stein."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"741\" src=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Darksideback-cover-1024x741.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Darksideback-cover-1024x741.png 1024w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Darksideback-cover-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Darksideback-cover-768x555.png 768w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Darksideback-cover-1536x1111.png 1536w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Darksideback-cover-83x60.png 83w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Darksideback-cover.png 1886w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<iframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/2Wt18pSxJDRfO5EiY3xUIF?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameBorder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n<p class=\"s3\"><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">Multi-talented performer Collette Cooper is signed to i<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">ndependent label, Thelonius Punk <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">Records<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">. She has been featured on BBC radio, Jazz FM, and Soho radio as a musician. She has also been the subject of interviews in books and is an actor, recently undertaking a role portraying singer Janis Joplin, in the play <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">(that<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> she also wrote and directed), \u2018Tomorrow Maty Be My Last<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">\u2019 to<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> critical acclaim. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"s3\"><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">Following her release last year of The Darkside of Christmas\u2019 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">(reviewed<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> on this platform) we now learn that part 1, and part 2 has just been unleashed on the world. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"s3\"><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">Cooper\u2019s take on Christmas is one of part cynicism, part warmth and love, and part respect and it comes together, in her unique, dramatic, <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">bluesy<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">, worldly way of presenting to the world, her individual take on songs both new and familiar. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"s3\"><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">The opener <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s5\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">\u2018When<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">the<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> Snow Falls<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">\u2019<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> is an eerily dystopic mix of poetry and music. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">It is introduced by a <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">descriptive poem which <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">is dropped <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">over <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">an <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">eerie backdrop. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">The narrator\u2019s r<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">ich, northern tones are crystal clear. The music then sets up a sashaying rhythm and Cooper <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">relates <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">the coldness on the streets when it snows. Her voice continues to improve year on year <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">her <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">and tones are reminiscent of Hagen in her prime. Using a simple line Cooper manages to imbue the icy energy of the streets at the coldest times of the year. The song is aided immensely by the beautiful tones of the strings that underpin <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">the<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> middle section<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> and weave their way into the number<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">\u2018Lost Soul\u2019 is <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">an <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">acapella number for the first 50 seconds or so, a brave move as the vocals <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">are<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> exposed but Cooper has no problem<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> there<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> and we get to hear the quirky textured vocals of this mercurial songstress.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">With the entry of the instruments, t<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">he number develops into a sassy, swingy, blues-infused <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">number,<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> with organ, guitar,<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">and drums adding textures and layers, while Cooper, <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">perfectly <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">at home in her narrative, soul-baring lines, makes full use of the hefty vocal arrangement. The number suits Cooper\u2019s range and finesse and boy, do we know it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">The Christmas stalwart \u2018Coventry Carol\u2019 is given a <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">Cooper-styler twist <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">with a militaristic introduction, <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">and <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">some fantastically arranged spoken lines before Cooper enters with her take on the carol. The words and music worked like this, are possibly clearer than in many <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">chorally arranged<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> working<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">s<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">. The story of the child<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">&#8211;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">slaying that occurred at the birth of the Christ <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">C<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">hild is told, <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">its<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> darker implications fully <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">realized,<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">a<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">mid the gorgeous arrangement for voice and strings. The style Cooper uses serves to emphasize<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> the <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">underlying dark <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">nuance and meaning of the carol. We see what you did there, Ms Cooper, and you did it so well.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\"> Cooper has a voice that sends tremors down to your boots and this is a release where this is fully realised. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">A lovely selection of Christmas-not-Christmas music and a <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">great <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\"><span class=\"bumpedFont15\">follow-up to part one from last year.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Multi-talented performer Collette Cooper is signed to independent label, Thelonius Punk Records. She has been featured on BBC radio, Jazz FM, and Soho radio as a musician. She has also been the subject of interviews in books and is an actor, recently undertaking a role portraying singer Janis Joplin, in the play (that she also &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[118,181,229,129,52,139,132,30,37,142,73,150,81,126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bass","category-blues","category-composer","category-drums","category-guitar","category-jazz","category-lyricist","category-music","category-piano","category-producer","category-singer-songwriter","category-songwriter","category-strings","category-vocals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6261"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6264,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6261\/revisions\/6264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}