Cotton Jones: Folk-Pop Grows Up

With an intriguing mix of country and melancholy psychedelia, Cotton Jones' debut album, Paranoid Cocoon, is one of the most soulful releases to pop up in recent months. Frontman Mike Nau (of Page France) started the band as a side project with bandmate Whitney McGraw, but it soon became his main focus. After a few EPs, extensive touring and a name change, Cotton Jones' first full-length studio disc is finally available.

Mike Nau and Whitney McGraw of Cotton Jones. courtesy of the artist hide caption

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courtesy of the artist

On Paranoid Cocoon, Nau and McGraw create a mature, oddly woodsy feel, with strikingly evocative and despondent lyrics. Nau's baritone, which recalls that of Lee Hazlewood, sings of forgotten happiness and missed chances, evoking charming sadness throughout the new record.