The list of positives that COVID brought us is a short one. We can, however, count Cozi and Flounder’s EP The Place among those slender gifts. The dawn of the ongoing pandemic upended Ezra Vancil’s burgeoning indie music career with the cancellation of live gigs, lockdowns, and curtailed travel, among other personal discomforts and inconveniences. His preceding music release, The Family Songbook, made use of various musicians Vancil knows as well as his own family, most importantly daughter and vocalist Cozi Vancil.
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The collection earned a shower of praise for its songwriting and musicianship but, once again, COVID-19 crushed any momentum he generated from its release. This new project Cozi and Flounder grew out of that and other circumstances. The father/daughter duo began writing and singing together as equals; it may seem on the surface that someone as young as Cozi, not yet old enough to drive, merits such billing. One listen will convince you otherwise.
The first song alone is evidence for her jaw-dropping gifts. The Family Songbook provided us a tantalizing and extended hearing of Cozi Vancil’s singing talents, but “No One Can Take Away” begins The Place serving notice that her flame burns brighter than ever before. Some listeners may yearn for a more assertive opener, but the quasi-ethereal aspects of this song will get under listener’s skin.
It is an excellent choice for the opener on other grounds. It is not any slight to say Cozi and Flounder write songs that would work as intelligent, effective pop with few adjustments. You hear it in the sturdy construction of “No One Can Take Away” and later cuts. “Misty Girl” is another song in that vein. It comes across as a little more grounded than the kickoff, but Cozi and Flounder are clearly interested in constructing elegant musical pieces each time.
It isn’t the sort of earthy folk or Americana you might associate with the form. “Tiny Boat”, however, is their most faithful effort in that area. It has a fun off-kilter tilt though, never too pronounced, that underscores the song’s idiosyncratic slant. They are working within a musical tradition but understand how to subvert it while remaining faithful to its style. “Some Angels” is, arguably, the EP’s most commercial moment. There’s little doubt in my mind that this song is radio-ready and capable of dramatically expanding the duo’s audience. It rings true, authentic, while still embracing an infectious accessibility lacking in the other songs.
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“The Place” doesn’t have quite the same impact. The title song, however, is another of the EP’s best moments thanks to its cohesiveness. Each passage and motif flow into the next with nary a hiccup and the vocals are well-tailored to the arrangement. The Place is one of 2021’s understated gems, a low-key and thoughtful exploration of important themes. It’s life-affirming and far from self-absorbed. Cozi and Flounder have released with The Place an EP casting its nets for a wide swath of the music listening public and certain to find success.
Chadwick Easton