One of my favorite parts about FensePost is being able to follow the journey a band takes over time. It’s been a few years since Cock And Swan debuted with Noon Hum, and their progression from that album to Unrecognize, out this week on their own Dandelion Gold label, has been tremendous. Noon Hum was an absolute delight, and looking back it’s easy to recognize that it certainly yielded great things. Where Cock And Swan have changed most is not necessarily in their abilities (which have come along nicely over the past few years) but rather in the confidence of multi-instrumentalist Johnny Goss and his keyboard-wielding cohort Ola Hungerford.

I caught up with the duo by happenstance a few months back at the final Department Of Safety show, and both Goss and Hungerford were excited to catch up. Hungerford had lost that shy, downcast gaze she possessed in the Noon Hum days and Goss was, likewise, delightfully cheery. These key personality traits radiate throughout Unrecognize. Cock And Swan’s sound remains shrouded in a murky, rainy dusk fit for classic trip-hop while the vocals and instrumentation extends beyond the electronic experimental tinkering to fulfill the arenas of pop and perhaps even a hint of folk.

“Unrecognized” and “Goldmine” are early favorites. Listening to some of these songs, I’m struck with how I’m reminded, to a light extent, of early Lali Puna. In “One Hundred”, the duo reworks one of their earlier songs from Noon Hum. It is here, of course, the transformation is most audible. But in all honesty, you can hear it throughout the album, from the rampant percussive beat in “Stash” which drives the song into further experimentation, to the eerily clear vocals in “Remember Sweet”. If you’re new to Cock And Swan and you dig that dark experimental electronic sound, you’ll enjoy Unrecognize. If you’ve been a longtime fan like me, it’ll absolutely blow you away.

Above photo by Angel Ceballos

Download: “One Hundred” by Cock And Swan

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Download: “Unrecognized” by Cock And Swan

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Dandelion Gold [CD 2010]

1. Unrecognized
2. Morning’s Window
3. Unserious
4. Goldmine
5. Sympethizer
6. Holding On
7. I Let Me In
8. One Hundred
9. Stash
10. Sneak Close
11. Know The Look
12. Sunset Burns
13. Hypnotize
14. Remember Sweet
15. War Drums