9

Then There Were Two

Cocosuma started life as a Paris based trio. Producing lo-fi pop on a do-it-yourself budget Chab, Chimo and Kacey were able to drum up critical acclaim and gain an ever growing fan base that in turn has allowed them to delve deeper into their musical capabilities, to add some substance and oomph to their earlier work. Throw in the inclusion of one of their tracks on Hollywood movie 'The In-Laws' and everything seems to be pointing onwards and upwards for the DIY trio. Then again these things never run according to plan and as always a spanner gets thrown into the works, in Cocosuma's case it was the decision of the delicately lithe lead singer Kacey to return to her native Sweden and as such 'Pointing Excitedly To The Sky' may profess an album title that suggests the upward path of Cocosuma but in reality the trio's second album is a sweetly sombre goodbye to their singer that even encompasses a song titled 'We Were A Trio' just to bring home the sadness of the album's creation.

Dreamily kicking off with 'Communication's Lost', 'Pointing Excitedly To The Sky' tentatively sweeps you off on a journey of soaring melodies, whimsical vocals and bitter sweet lyrics that simply soar and fade throughout the entire album. Dripping in hauntingly hypnotising synthesisers layered amongst gently powerful vocals, 'Pointing Excitedly To The Sky' is an album that sticks very much to a formula, one that clutches at a laidback mesmerising stance from the off and seems reluctant to relinquish this hold. 'Drizzling Yet Dazzling' does attempt to tamper slightly with the plan, taking the tempo up a gear before quickly returning to the safe path. But then there is nothing wrong with the safe option and Cocosuma certainly generate the sound of a hazy summer's daze that gently grabs you and lulls you into a hedonistic mindscape of soaring melodies and playfully detached vocals.

For all their layered musical abilities, Cocosuma's second album is overshadowed by what is possibly their most simplified number, 'Nutopia'. Stripped to the bare minimum, 'Nutopia' combines a basic acoustic guitar with softly innocent vocals that work to add a sense of beauty and awe to the track. In short it is wonderfully simplistic and yet thought provokingly deep making it easily the best track of the album.

With Cocosuma's future unclear, it is fitting that the album made during a time of change should close with a track that poses the question so many will now be asking, 'What's Left Of Us?' With the departure of Kacey it is unclear what lies ahead for Cocosuma, for now though 'Pointing Excitedly Towards The Sky' is a fitting album to sum up the trio. Yes the album follows a very rigid path, never really attempting to up the ante but in doing so Cocosuma have created the accompaniment to a hot, sweaty summer's day.