Listen closely. Trickling down the music stream, slowly and quietly, is Cotton Jones (formerly known as Cotton Jones Basket Ride). With its eclectic folksy vibe and velvet-soaked mood, there’s something psychedelic about the band’s new record.
Yesterday marked the release of the third in a series of handmade art-book EP’s from the group, entitled “Rio Ranger EP.”
A duo comprised of Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw, Cotton Jones calls Cumberland, Md., their home, although Nau and McGraw recently lived in Michigan for two months. Each book EP includes handmade artwork and original illustrations in addition to five brand-new songs. Only 1,000 of these babies are being printed, so decide quickly whether you are interested.
The EP opens on the right note with “Only Minutes Young,” a melancholic mixture of sounds resembling a ballad from 1966, with Nau’s voice entering in, “Old friends call me different, new friends call me old.” The reverb is cranked up on the vocals, but it’s not spreading anything too thin. It complements, but never covers. McGraw’s background vocals sink into the already dense recording, creating a seamless atmosphere — something to slowly float along on.
McGraw takes the lead on “Always Feeling Good,” a slow but engaging tie-dye of sound. This song features Nau’s lazy guitar strumming, served with a dollop of fuzzy bells and airwaves. It’s impressive that McGraw and Nau are able to hold onto a distinct niche regardless of who is on lead vocals.
The two must be certified hypnotists. These songs are meditative, because as slow as they roll on, they seem to end rather quickly. Each track should end with Nau and McGraw snapping their fingers, reminding us to snap out of the hazy breeze they’ve created.
“Where You Stop For A Minute,” the closing track of “Rio Ranger EP” and the most alternative song on the EP, opens with the simple layering of a twangy, reverberated electric guitar, airy organ chords and a brushy drumbeat. Nau and McGraw reminisce about home, with Nau softly singing, “Home is where you stop for a minute and clean your teeth.”
A change of pace might have served well for the record, but the EP only runs a little over 18 minutes, so the tone never becomes tedious. It’s the definition of dreamlike. There’s something heartbreaking about being this relaxed, but I can’t put my finger on it. I envision this record acting as a soundtrack for someone who is leaving on a train, leaving everything they know behind.
With a sound resembling Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Jim Croce and Johnny Cash in a blender, there’s nothing but wide-open spaces on the “Rio Ranger EP,” and if quiet afternoons in the country are your thing, Cotton Jones won’t disappoint.
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