Band: Cotton Jones (Formerly of Page France)
Release: 2009
Label: Suicide Squeeze

1. “Up A Tree (Went This Heart I Have)” – 9.6
2. “Gotta Cheer Up” – 9.7
3. “Some Strange Rain” – 9.5
4. “Gone The Bells” – 9.6
5. “Photo Summerlude” – 9.3
6. “By Morning Light” – 9.2
7. “Cotton & Velvet” – 8.9
8. “Little Ashtray in the Sun” – 8.7
9. “Blood Red Sentimental Blues” – 8.7
10. “I Am The Changer” – 9.3

Comments: What we all loved as Page France died as Page France in 2008. Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw, the two main pieces of the PF puzzle, decided to do a thang by themselves called Cotton Jones.  Cotton Jones is a bit jazzier/bluesier and less deep lyrically than Page France. I get this sort of Doors vibe with tracks on here being predominately vocal-centric and mellow.  As a really big Page France devotee back in my day, I don’t sense a lot of lasting appeal to these songs like I did with Hello, Dear Wind (2005), for example. So why I have given them such high ratings? They have a good amount of now appeal. Beautifully written, beautifully sung. Versatile, too. Jazz, blues, folk, country, rock…Michael and Whitney can do ’em all no problem. Admittedly, things get a bit boring (“done before”) toward the end.

Grade:9.3