Indie Folk through rose-colored glasses

Releasing his debut self-titled album on August 19th, 2022, Cooper Kenward bursts into the indie scene with a fantastic display of intimate soft indie tunes. Based in Los Angeles, Kenward created the album completely at home and not in the studio. The comfort and intimacy of the space can be felt in each of the tracks and is a wonderful introduction to his work with singer-songwriter inspirations of indie folk and indie pop. Even on the album cover itself, the colors are muted beiges and grays with a pit bull in the center. These colors and the softness of the cover can easily be heard in the tracks themselves.

The pre-released singles greatly encapsulates what the album is all about. The first track on the album “In Due Time” is a relaxing song that was Kenward’s first official single on all platforms coming out back in February. The song’s main melody and selling point is the strength of the melodic line in the acoustic guitar. In all of the tracks in the album, the acoustic guitar is utilized to some extent. The guitar is amplified further by the contrasting soft percussion in the background which is played oftentimes on the offbeats of the major strumming patterns. This tactic keeps the motion of the rhythm feel constantly moving and is a unique feature that makes it stand out. A few songs actually begin with a few beats of just the simple percussion beats before any other instrumentals or vocals come in, warming up the listener to the vibes of the particular song.

Besides the percussion, another compositional staple in Cooper Kenward is the use of its soft electric guitar and bass. This repetition of instrumentation still finds ways to stay fresh, with each track intertwining other complimentary instruments and mixing and matching timbres to fit the homey and introspective mood of the overall album. Kenward excels at this by the additive of his deep and soothing voice over the instrumental. Some tracks focus on this more literally, such as “Mediocre Motions” or “Slow Roll,” which have lyrics that focus on the simple but lovely daily tasks of life. For example, in “Riverbed Handstand” Kenward sings, “Voices in the other room. Sky is saying certain doom. I guess it’s time to go outside.” He continues and discusses his discovery of finding a riverbed and finding peace by laying down in the water. These simple stories of adventures are soothing and sing of a nostalgic time of the past. The focus on the mundane yet beautiful moments in life really helps add to the charm of this indie startup. 

Overall, Cooper Kenward’s self-titled debut is a strong segue into the soft indie genre. With songs that utilize classic folk compositional styles as well as relatable and heartfelt lyrics. Each of the tracks are nostalgic and warm in nature, making the listener feel warm and fuzzy after listening. With this being Kenward’s first major release on all platforms, listeners will be anxiously anticipating his next release.