02. Gotta Cheer Up
03. Some Strange Rain
04. Gone The Bells
05. Photo Summerlude
006. By Morning Light
07. Cotton & Velvet
08. Little Ashtray In The Sun
09. Blood Red Sentimental Blues
10. I Am The Changer
Cotton Jones is the new project from Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw of Page France and their debut album Paranoid Cocoon sounds almost nothing like their former band. The sound of Cotton Jones abandons any pop sentiment and takes a pensive approach that is apropos for the gloomy happenings out in the real world.
Paranoid Cocoon sounds like a folk album The Doors may have made. It’s pouring down rain in the Bay area and their low-fi sound in the perfect accompaniment. Nau’s baritone voice and McGraw’s sweet sound create splendid harmonies and the lo-fi recording gives the album an otherworldy feel. Standout tracks include “Up a Tree (Went This Heart I Have),” “Gotta Cheer Up,” “Cotton and Velvet” and “Blood Red Sentimental Blues.” Lo-fi has its place and it works on this album, but after hearing Cotton Jones perform “Cotton and Velvet” on Daytrotter , I’d like to hear crisper recordings to bring out the vocals. I guess that just gives me more reason to track them down at SXSW 2009.
If you are looking for a pick me up, this ain’t the album. But if you’d like to escape into the foggy, damp backwoods and simply get lost for awhile, Cotton Jones is the lantern that lights your path. The debut full-length, Paranoid Cocoon, is out now on Suicide Squeeze Records. -hearya.com
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