Independent, 2012
Blessed with great talent, New England songbird Anna Coogan
aided by Roman Daniele Fiaschi work perfectly as an inventive Americana
folk duo.
Anna Coogan’s unerring performance as a vocalist coupled with Daniele Fiaschi’s inbuilt radar of knowing of when to be strong or subtle and coercing with his playing were destined to meet. What joy it is to sample the fruits of a partnership. Like malt whiskey it has matured and now become a beautiful living thing. A measure of the couple’s ability is how they have taken the Gordon Lightfoot epic “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” and breathed new life into it. As for Coogan’s own compositions “Indian Son” is a solid one to start with if it wasn’t for I would like to have hear more of her singing, but that is soon put to rights. As “Red Shoes, Black Dress” has ‘her’ command centre stage as she speaks of love and walking down the isle with her red shoes and of being home soon.
Anna Coogan’s unerring performance as a vocalist coupled with Daniele Fiaschi’s inbuilt radar of knowing of when to be strong or subtle and coercing with his playing were destined to meet. What joy it is to sample the fruits of a partnership. Like malt whiskey it has matured and now become a beautiful living thing. A measure of the couple’s ability is how they have taken the Gordon Lightfoot epic “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” and breathed new life into it. As for Coogan’s own compositions “Indian Son” is a solid one to start with if it wasn’t for I would like to have hear more of her singing, but that is soon put to rights. As “Red Shoes, Black Dress” has ‘her’ command centre stage as she speaks of love and walking down the isle with her red shoes and of being home soon.
With depth of learning and emotion near deep as the ocean on which she studied biology, her wistful and poetic songwriting imagery fused by the hugely creative energy of Fiaschi (electric and acoustic guitar on “How Will You Find Me?) is of the kind that needs considerable volume to be fully appreciated. “Crooked Sea” and “Streamers” are dreamy little numbers adorned in neat undercurrents while “Back To The World” has dynamism of its own. As Fiaschi's strong guitar and Coogan’s moody vocals make inroads into one’s senses.
At this point it is worth noting that Coogan plays acoustic guitar and a ‘porch board bass’ stomp box to compliment Fiaschi, who on the likes of the latter is immense (nothing less than). Their ‘live’ version of Phil Ochs’ “The Crucifixion (Live At Roepaen)” is something you could imagine Bob Dylan writing, and like them he too would become totally lost in the dramatic story. As it unfolds in it’s dark mysterious way. Gathering in power the momentum of the playing and story build to a compelling, never to be forgotten finale. What better way to conclude an album fashioned in great beauty, mystic and an abundance of top-notch playing and Coogan’s singing style, that like a log fire on a winter's evening warms the heart of the listener.
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