It's likely that many of you have already heard the successful, breakthrough debut single, "Don't You Cry For Me" from Minnesota-raised, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Cobi. With nearly 28 millions streams on Spotify alone, "Don't You Cry For Me" was followed by an acoustic version of the same track, and an equally impressive second single, "Prophet Story." Cobi has recently released Songs From The Ashes (PT. 1), an EP that presents three outstanding new tracks that are a preview of music from his forthcoming full-length album.
I first heard of Cobi when attending a Chicago performance of UK EDM band Above & Beyond as part of their 2016 International Acoustic Tour. Cobi was one of four lead vocalists presenting Above & Beyond's songs in an acoustic (non-EDM) setting, accompanied by piano, orchestra, and other more traditional instruments. On the songs he performed, he knocked them out of the park, contributing to a truly memorable Above & Beyond performance. It was pretty obvious that we'd be hearing more from this talented vocalist in the future. Cobi has since performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and was part of the 2017 Lollapalooza lineup.
On Songs From The Ashes (PT. 1), we find three powerful, multi-dimensional tracks driven by Cobi's soulful, charged, and heartfelt vocals. I'm not even sure there's a "lead" track on the EP, as each one these tracks is as single-worthy as the next.
The opening track ("Goddess") confidently leads off with piano and Cobi's prominent vocals, before transitioning into a triphop-like vibe with its repetitive "you make me believe" background lyrics throughout the chorus, while professing profound lyrics like "there's not enough love in the world." The inspirational "Nobody Opened the Door" shines the spotlight on Cobi's impressive vocal range and dynamic delivery, as it transitions from sparse, strummed, blues-like guitar to a full-on, explosive Jimi Hendrix-style finale. My favorite track, "Underneath," is the perfect ending to Songs From The Ashes (PT. 1), with its atmospheric intro, emotional chorus with musical style reminiscent of "Prophet Story", and cautionary lyrics ("don't let 'em pull you underneath").
Based on the recent material we're hearing from Cobi, I'm predicting his forthcoming album is sure to be outstanding. There are also some great live Cobi performances floating around on YouTube - hopefully, some of these songs (e.g., "Shadows", "We Are Who We Are") will make their way onto the album (fingers crossed!).
While we await more Cobi tunes, check out the music video for the EP track "Underneath," directed by Adam VillaSenor and Reza Ghassemi.
COBI "UNDERNEATH" (Music Video)
For more information about Cobi, visit his official website, follow him on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), and find his music on SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music.