I'm a fan of pleasant surprises. I preview dozens of new albums pretty much daily. A week or so ago, I came across The Death of Cool - the new release by Daphne Parker Powell, an artist I had never heard of.
The promotional sticker on the front suggested this is for fans of Neko Case, Tori Amos, and Natalie Merchant - my curiosity peaked. It goes on to mention it was produced by Jimbo Mathus and includes members of his band Squirrel Nut Zippers. Adding to the intrigue, they were joined members of the storied New Orleans ensemble, Preservation Hall. I was already excited before I started listening. But it then had to meet high expectations. In a couple words, it did.
The lead-off track, one of my favorites so far, Perpetual Light of the Void, begins as a ballad. Powell's voice on this one has an operatic feel that lends credence to the Tori Amos comparison. The song builds to a great jazz-rock jam resolving with a return to the slow-burn vibe from the beginning.
Powell talked about the album title - The Death of Cool - in a recent interview. The idea, she says is that when we're younger, we want to be cool and fit in. As we get older, we tend to look for relationships with deeper meaning. It turns out she had a good reason to come to this conclusion. This album was created as she was fighting breast cancer discovered in an unusual way. She was feeling fine and in good health. A close friend suffered kidney failure after a bout with COVID. Powell was a match for donating a kidney. During the screenings ahead of her donation, it was discovered that she had several tumors. After a double mastectomy, she had further complications.
Her emotional state combined with a line-up of great musicians under the watch of Jimbo Mathus gives The Death of Cool a lot to unpack. It's the kind of album you can play often and find something new each time.
Join us as we explore The Death of Cool on Open Air - Weekdays 9am-3pm on the Rhytm and News Service.
