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Cober: The Western Cutter (2009)
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When an artist's music has the capability to inspire euphoria and communicate the most profound of human sorrows simultaneously, people pay attention. For the past 8 years, Sheila Bommakanti has been turning heads as the founder and songwriter of the band Cober, and with her unique blend of hauntingly-beautiful delayed guitars and hypnotic, expressive vocals, she continues to do just that on Cober's latest album, Eulogy. Additionally, Cober's unique evolution as a band has created further allure. What once began as Sheila's solo recording project later developing into a traditional band has now become Sheila, armed with a double-necked SG and two Marshall half-stacks, returning Cober to its solo roots.
Formerly from Seattle, and now one of Boston's most original, exciting artists, Sheila, as Cober, has written and recorded three critically lauded albums and toured extensively, both with a band and also as an enigmatic solo performer. Cober's Eulogy, however, marks a decided shift in the bands history, as Sheila decided to use a one-piece band approach for the album rather than a customary full band sound as heard on previous records. "Everything was recorded the way it will be performed live, with guitars and vocals only," says Sheila. "My path hasn't been typical. Many songwriters start out performing solo and later add backing bands for live shows and recordings. I've written and recorded as a one-piece band from the start, singing and playing all the instruments except the drums, but live I'd have a full band. I've come to realize that playing live the way I record more accurately reflects what Cober is, and the audience gets a more intimate show."
Moreover, the one-piece band format better conveys the moods of the songs. Sheila explains, "A lot happened in between the release of The Breaker in '02 and Eulogy. In life there are things that happen, that hit you so hard, everything around you feels stripped away and all you can feel is the reality of whatever it was that happened. Things feel very exposed. That basically happened for me in 2004, when my father passed away. While the album was inspired by a lot of hardship, its more about the processes we all go through, of self-discovery and whatnot, and in this sense its more positive, [and] cathartic." No matter what form Cober takes, creating a mood is the key to unlocking the seductive power of its music.
Discography: Crashpilot (2000), The Breaker (2002), Eulogy (2006),
The Western Cutter (2009)
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