Jeff Cochell – Between The Lines – Review

Between the Lines is a full-length CD release from Portland, OR area singer/songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist Jeff Cochell. Cochell is a student of fingerstyle guitar players like Leo Kottke and Lindsay Buckingham and combines that talent with his admiration of songwriters like Bob Dylan to create his own songs based on his personal experiences. Between the Lines is Cochell’s debut recording.

The CD begins with “Lay Down Your Hand”, a laid-back tune that begins with Cochell’s afore-mentioned fingerstyle playing and a melancholy groove that fits what seems to be a lament of sorts to a relationship gone sour. “When You’re On Your Feet” features some tasty electric guitar fills that really brighten the backdrop of muted drums and acoustic guitar strums. As one gets further into the tracks it’s apparent that there’s a melancholy vibe that pervades the CD. The songs tend towards slow and mellow tempos highlighted by Cochell’s plaintive vocals, excellent guitar work and the refreshing electric guitar fills. “Release Me” features some great vocal harmonies and nice interplay between the acoustic guitars. Cochell has a good, clear voice and the whole recording is pleasant to listen to. The guitars are well-recorded and Cochell’s playing is certainly a highlight. The second to last track “Somewhere” is a beautiful instrumental piece performed on acoustic guitars. Cochell has a strong sense of his genre and style, the songs are authentic and heartfelt which is the essence of folk music. The atmosphere of the production seems to suit the laid-back nature of the songs giving everything just enough reverberation without becoming overly drenched in melancholia. The album’s final track “Fading Out of Blue” is a perfect close to the CD, a simple guitar and vocal arrangement once again emphasizing Cochell’s strengths in his playing and songwriting.

Between the Lines is a solid effort from Cochell and company but taken as a whole it comes across somewhat one-dimensional. Cochell has a nice voice but doesn’t stretch himself vocally and the melodies stay within a narrow range. The slow tempos and laid-back nature of his songs make for a bit of a sleepy experience. A couple of more uptempo tracks would have really given more dynamic depth to the album. The production is adequate for the songs, it’s certainly not overdone but it does suffer from a few amateurish moments. The tempos swing noticeably here and there – especially with the drum tracks. A loose feel can work beautifully at times but there are moments on Between the Lines when things become a bit too loose. The songs come in each at about four minutes or longer and combined with the consistently slow tempos it’s hard to maintain interest throughout the whole album. The vocals could use more polish and be brought forward a bit more as they flirt with falling into the background at times. It’s hard to maintain a raw, live nature for this style and balance it against production but some more varied instrumentation and more attention paid to pitch and timing could take things up a level.

Cochell should be proud of his efforts here on Between the Lines. This is a genuine and heartfelt album and a great starting point for his career. His guitar playing is quite good and he has definitely captured a distinctive mood and vibe on the recording. A bit more polish and some variety in tempos and instrumentation will go a long way for Cochell when he tackles his next release. This is a great album for a late night or a rainy afternoon.

Summary:

Artist: Jeff Cochell
Album: Between the Lines
Label: Independent
Website: http://www.jeffcochell.com
Genre: Folk, Singer/Songwriter

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