Cotillon – Cotillon

Cotillon
Cotillon
Burger Records
★★★

Jordan Corso loves his bedroom pop project Cotillon. It began as a means to self-satisfy a need surrounded by the Los Angeles skyline. But show after show after show, the popularity for his music only self-released on his Bandcamp page, turned into a serious relationship writing about failed relationships.

Corso took a break to record this self-titled release, and it’s a modest attempt at vintage pop. What began as intro demos shaped this album. He laid down tracks with a full lineup, while polishing his songs with guest members of the music community. These included GIRLS and Modern Lovers, both appropriate bands to the glue of his dreamy pop.

The Psychedelic Furs-like sax structure make “Call Me Up” a playful number of early ‘60s swoon and the International Pop takeover of the late ‘90s. “Asteroid” hums with garage rock glimmer, and “Yesterday’s Shoes” plays out like it was written on a napkin in the back of a bar.

One thing I can say for Corso is that he writes with every intention of sincerity. It’s not for the glamour of making a polished pop album filled with satin melodies and glorious harmonies because none of that really persists in his songs. Sometime out of tune, but always modest, the album is a humble charm to it. “Should Have Known Better” gives an amateurish attempt at adding soul into that ghostly ‘60s spinner like he tapped into a parallel universe. “Convenience” wanders off contemplating death, but “Infection” pulls out all the punk stops and gets angry in an almost defiant attitude. Cotillon is an album filled with defiance.

Overall Corso created a lovely record that contains enough nooks in the songs to give us all sorts of surprises.