Caley Conway is a paradox, and Only a Dark Cocoon finds her music at its most seductively paradoxical. Conway has always been at home in contrast— her music is orchestral yet minimal, full-sounding yet pared back. Her sound has been described as folk, but at the same time it has far too much bite. Conway’s vocals are comfortable yet haunting, and dissonant chords bubble underneath the band’s innocent patina.
At home in this world of contradictions, Only a Dark Cocoon evokes comparison yet stands out. This ekphrastic piece draws inspiration from Joni Mitchell’s song “The Last Time I Saw Richard,” expanding lyrical snippets into three full-concept songs: 'The Last Time I Saw Him,' 'You've Got Tombs in Your Eyes,' and 'All Good Dreamers.' Conway approaches Mitchell’s work like a collage, a close reading, or a writing prompt.
The EP sees Conway’s signature smoky vocal acrobatics undercut by warm, gain-y electric guitar bordering on feedback, and supported with the vintage sound of organ. Conway musically conjures the times, places, and people that Mitchell narrated in “The Last Time I Saw Richard”. Far from a cover, Only a Dark Cocoon is something inspired yet wholly singular – a concoction that Mitchell (walking into a bar where it plays on the jukebox), might turn her ear to as a half-remembered dream.
