Larry Cooper is a singer-songwriter originally from Arizona and currently doing the open mic circuit around Reno. On open mics, he might be seen playing an acoustic guitar, but on his self-titled EP, it’s all multi-tracked electric guitars and even drums on some songs. In fact, there’s a general impression on this album of a frustrated rocker awaiting replies to his “musicians wanted” ad. “The Art of Letting Go,” for example, sounds like a teenager playing a Sublime song through a practice amp in his dorm room. (The canonical treatment of Bradley Nowell common among many younger songwriters is disturbing.) His vocals, especially in the upper reaches, are quite nice, occasionally even reminiscent of Jeff Buckley. But the songs don’t sound fully formed. He’s got the first half of the singer-songwriter equation down, and, with a bit more honing of his craft, he might get the second half. But he’s not there yet.
Larry Cooper
