While Wild Child‘s Kelsey Wilson has been embracing a solo soul singer persona as Sir Woman, you can’t overlook the equal and opposite path that her historic songwriting partner Alexander Beggins has begun as CoCo Zandi. CoCo Zandi reinvigorates the sounds of Martin Denny with a modern take on the ’50s exotica genre, rounded out with Beggins’ trademark baritone ukulele, charming vocal charisma, and his newly recruited trio of backup singers, The Coquettes.
As suggested by its title, CoCo Zandi’s upcoming debut LP As Simple As a Dream is the perfect backdrop for a breezy beach-bound day trip and a piña colada in the shade. With Walker Lukens in the producer’s chair and Spoon’s Jim Eno behind the mixing and mastering, As Simple As a Dream is an absolute knockout of Austin talent. You’ll be able to soak up all the love in 2020, but be sure to lather up first with this previously unheard single, “Angel”!
–Jack Anderson