Text: Laura Rosierse
You have undoubtedly heard of guitarist and songwriter Ed Cosens, or maybe not his name, but the band he is best known for: Reverend And The Makers. Ed has now embarked on a solo adventure and it has been a journey of self-discovery. His debut solo album ‘Fortunes Favour’ is a ten-track counting surprise on which the talented musician turned inwards and opens up about personal subjects and experiences.
The first singles he released of the album are part of a short film narrative, which you can watch here: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3. The versatile guitarist opens his album with a soaring, personal and theatrical piece on which he asks “what to do…”. His way of storytelling is open-hearted and comes in the form of an intriguing alternative pop rock sound. The subject of trying to make up for lost times and mistakes made in the past is very apparent on all songs with ‘If’ being quite the highlight. ‘If’ details a “love-lorn tale of the struggle between true love’s path and the path which you think you’re destined to follow. It’s about the conflict between what you think you want, where you unwittingly lead yourself and ultimately where you should really be.” The album shows how Ed has found his own sound and “details his anxieties around self-worth, finding legitimacy in his own writing, and modern parenthood.”
Combine early Arctic Monkeys with a hint of Echo and the Bunnymen, a touch of Oasis and you have Ed’s debut solo album! ‘The River’ resembles most of an early, wavy Alex Turner-like vibe. Cosens’ knows how to bring a filling sound while talking about heavy subjects, without translating that into music that is too heavy and depressing. With the title track of the album, the tempo of the album slows down a little, ‘Fortunes Favour’ and ‘Madeleine’ are almost jazzy and with their soothing mix bring a very comforting atmosphere but lovers of the well-known energetic Reverend And The Makers sound will have to scoot. Ed Cosens truly has chosen his own path.
‘Lovers Blues’ brings the tempo back and is the perfect soundtrack for a sunny afternoon filled with riffs and warm vocals. The album is a combination of love songs, songs that talk about struggles with mental health and self-deprecation, all of these subjects going hand in hand. ‘The Pantomime’ would be the grandest song of all, with distorted riffs and chunks of instrumental parts that weld together the vocals with the instrumentals. Ed Cosens makes creating grand alternative pop rock sound effortless and ‘Come On In’ is the perfect and inviting closer of his debut album release! It is apparently not the first and last of his solo material as he sings “I’m not leaving this way…” or at least that’s how we interpret it!
Distiller Records
