Album Review: Marc M. Cogman - Anthems

Album Rating: A

NOTE: This review is part of Free Music February and a revision of a review originally posted on December 22, 2012 on AbsolutePunk.net.

The title of folk-rock artist Marc M. Cogman’s third release Anthems is confusing at first, as nothing in the actual work suggests much of anything very anthemic. The production is scratchy and unpolished, often letting louder dynamics blur together in an angry haze. The instrumentation is right out of the folk playbook, utilizing pianos, guitars, drums, and little else. The lyrics rarely deviate from its author’s personal tribulations. Yet that’s precisely where its value as an anthemic work comes from: it aims not to please a crowd but finds its power in the individual struggles we all face in the name of love. Cogman leaves himself to grapple freely with his thoughts and ambitions, and the result is just as complex as his relationships: angry then hopeful, bitter then euphoric, detached then engaged—and throughout this rollercoaster ride of emotion, both relatable and uplifting.

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