Coho are led by chief singer/songwriter Jeremy McDermott, and the group has both assets and drawbacks. Following a brief acoustic singer/songwriter throwaway introduction called "Offer," the band turns up the amps with the pleasing "I Will Disappear." Filled with twists and turns, the song plays into the group's strengths, mixing slowly building verses with a chorus that never quite explodes.
Coho play the melancholy, moody card perfectly during "Until We Get There," which brings to mind
Pilot Speed or a very somber
Travis circa "12 Memories," with a quasi-epic hook in the chorus. The ebb and flow seem to suit the band quite well even during the rather spacy, atmospheric "Clutter Druggies," which resembles a very cheery
Starsailor or
Muse. A couple of times, however, the band seems to lose the plot, particularly on the languid, somber "Life on Hiatus," which has McDermott hitting some high notes à la
Thom Yorke. This misstep is quickly forgotten when the tender, gentle, and pensive "Mahatma Denver" comes to the fore, sounding like a great number
Keane might have a go at.
Coho shine on the anthem-like "Harbour View," which resembles what
the Manic Street Preachers might sound like after listening to
Wilco for a week. ~ Jason MacNeil