Steve D. Cohen, Steve D. Cohen (Digitalia Media)

Though this is officially Steven Cohen’s debut disc, this is hardly his first trip around the block. The Lafayette singer-songwriter has had more than modest success over the years with four songs recorded by country’s Sammy Kershaw and two more by Cajun roots-rocker Wayne Toups. Now Cohen is showing there’s more where that came from with this 14-song platter that’s not just a showcase to pitch tunes to chart topping wannabes. While he’s not the grittiest belter out there, his acumen lies in his ability to artfully weave and dovetail beautiful lines together (“Nastya’s Train”). Sure, he’s intense but he’s also candid about life’s dark moments and brutal outcomes. He often illustrates his point with startling imagery like “I have blood in my hands, pain in my heart” (“Plain To See”). Unlike other tunesmiths who stick to a familiar, unvarying format, Cohen and producer Rick Lagneaux alter the radio ready arrangements to show how the compositions straddle mid-tempo funk, contemporary rock, country and modern blues.

Beguilingly subtle, realistic and honest, Cohen’s songs warrant a second look and will likely surface again through other artist interpretations down the road.