Itasca – No Consequence

October 5, 2016

ItascaItasca’s album is called “Open To Chance”, and it is Kayla Cohen’s first foray with a full band to buffet her Judy-Collins-versus-Joni-Mitchell, easy-breezy song-stylings. Let me, firstly, give Itasca’s novice listeners a heads up: Don’t expect a booming, basso sultry-toned voice ala Hope Sandoval and you won’t be disappointed. Cohen is a simple woman. One can see it from but one gaze at a photograph of her. She is a thin rail of a woman, her countenance onstage mirrored in her choice to have an equally flower-like, feminine bass player prancing around in close proximity to her.

Cohen goes deep in her lines, with much conviction and delivers each lyric, questioningly yet  unabashed.

As the composer, producer and lyricist of her whole new “Open To Chance” album from whence “No Consequence” is taken, Cohen is a gentle nature buff who looks and sounds like she wouldn’t — and possibly couldn’t — hurt a fly.

“No Consequence” is a great place to start and it has premiered on YouTube. It is a delicate number with great insight and a sparkly melody. An unshakable, broodiness in Kayla Cohen’s voice gives the song panache and character.

A real fine place to start.

-Rich Castle