Pennsylvania-based artist Yuri Gohen crafts a riveting folk entrancement on his new album, Who Killed Cock Robin? — exuding a classic, no-frills stylishness that represents Gohen’s love for traditional folk, and its lingering relevance in the modern world. Gohen’s previous projects spanned from psych-rock (Meddlesome Bells) to noise-rock (Shaper) and still-active Irish traditional group Oak, Ash, & Thorn. This solo endeavor succeeds fully in the folk realm, here within a warmly inviting folk production that provides satiating interpretations of traditional folk gems.
A compelling take on the historic English-origin folk song and nursery rhyme, the album’s title track opens with a questioning intrigue. Pit-pattering percussion and frolicking acoustics complement vocal layers that embrace the rhyme’s structure — bearing accounts of eyewitnesses, from owls to fish, as Cock Robin’s death is investigated. The ensuing “Sowing on the Mountain” exudes a bluesy folk character as call-and-response ghostly vocals meld with twanging guitars, for an enthralling interpretation of Woody Guthrie classic.
Another highlight, “Going Home” infuses its titular drive alongside debonair harmonica, clap-laden rhythms, and twanging guitar delights. The subsequent “So Lonesome” provides a more elegant dreaminess, as heartfelt vocals and trickling guitars combine — pondering the possibility of mutual feelings. “I’m so far from you today,” the vocals lament, caressing and emotive. Who Killed Cock Robin? is a fantastic, immersive folk success from Yuri Gohen.
—
“Who Killed Cock Robin?” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Indie Folk.
