Cogan, Ora: Hard Hearted Woman (cloudy clear vinyl) LP

Ora Cogan's music is alchemical: part instinct, part ritual, and always born from the edges where life feels sharpest. "Hard Hearted Woman", her debut for Sacred Bones, arrives as a spell for anyone trying to stay wild in a world that keeps hardening. Mixing haunted folk, psych rock, and a shadowy strain of country, Cogan builds a realm where catharsis feels lush, mysterious and vital. Written in Nanaimo, B.C., "Hard Hearted Woman" grew out of a blur of cold-water plunges, long river swims, late-night ruminations on art and politics with friends, and long drives through the rural Lillooet landscape visiting her godmother. She recorded with her beloved band and guests from both the country and experimental worlds with David Parry (Loving) at Dream Club in Victoria as well as in her studio in Nanaimo, and remotely with Tom Deis. The result is a record that glows like something pulled from smoke and seawater - intimate, shimmering, and carved with wit as much as grief. It's a swirling, jewel-toned ode to all the angels and the demons.