Joshua Cobos is a DIY artist from the city of Los Angeles, making music the way he wants to, when he wants to. It’s an interesting approach, and one that is to be applauded considering the city that Cobos is based in, so we thought we would check the Lavender Wine EP out, and we weren’t disappointed!

By Jane Howkins

Cobos’ music is best described as folk music, mixing together the more modern americana style with a traditional British sound. We’re reminded of 60s greats such as Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Dylan, as well as British artists such as Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling, making for an interesting overall sound.

Cobos records on a four track, which is somewhat evident when listening to his music. If we’re honest it’s fairly raw at times, and may sound a little too raw for some listeners. the final track on the EP, Ruski Doll, features a buzzsaw electric guitar riff that sounds almost a little shoegazey, and whilst there’s a good track in there, the guitar seems to drown out the rest of the track. The vocals also seem to have a lot of effects on them (which is a common theme across the whole EP), which actually detracts from the music, so some improvements need to be made in those areas.

However, Cobos is obviously a very talented and dedicated musician, having been producing music independently for the past fifteen years. Some changes need to be made, but the singer-songwriter definitely has some good ideas, so we have a lot of hope for his music in the future.