COTTON JONES > Paranoid Cocoon

Michael Nau used to be Page France. Then he was the Cotton Jones Basket Ride. Now, with Paranoid Cocoon, he is simply Cotton Jones-ostensibly content to write vibed-out songs that swim along in murky ‘60s psychedelia.

Label: SUICIDE SQUEEZE
[Rating: 3 Stars]

Michael Nau used to be Page France. Then he was the Cotton Jones Basket Ride. Now, with Paranoid Cocoon, he is simply Cotton Jones-ostensibly content to write vibed-out songs that swim along in murky ‘60s psychedelia. Take that back; these cuts dog paddle along, or perhaps pedal boat. Or maybe they toss a Frisbee on a dreary beach. Whatever these songs do, they are laid back in the process. Rhodes organ, moseying guitar, slinking percussion, and mellow vocals are the key ingredients here, creating a hypnotic album that often leaves the listener wondering when one track ends and the other begins. But uniformity doesn’t completely derail Paranoid Cocoon. “Gotta Cheer Up,” “Gone the Bells,” and “Little Ashtray in the Sun” are certainly interesting enough to deserve mentioning. And Whitney McGraw provides some blissful harmonies. One just needs to be way chill for this record to be consistently enjoyable.