As the leader of whimsical folk/rock band Page France, Michael Nau crafted songs full of fairy tales and spiritual longings. Just as that band seemed on the verge of bigger things, on the heels of two rich, evocative albums (Hello, Dear Wind & …and the Family Telephone), they disbanded. Nau soon resurfaced with fellow Page France member Whitney McGraw and formed The Cotton Jones Basket Ride, which was thereafter trimmed to just Cotton Jones. Their second album, Tall Hours in the Glowstream, might just be the most perfectly named album I’ve heard all year. Trading in the carnival-like folk of Page France, Glowstream features a melodic, soulful dream-pop/country hybrid that sounds little like Nau’s earlier band. The music is swathed in reverb, nostalgia, and a heavenly organ, giving much of it a vintage feel that wouldn’t sound out of place on some A.M. radio station that mixes oldies with classic country. Each of the 11 tracks is memorable on its own, but the whole record achieves a sonic unity that allows the songs to flow naturally from one to the next. Nau’s nasally vocals have been tempered, here sounding more like a Roy Orbison-like soul crooner, and are complimented by McGraw’s lovely harmonies and occasional leads (as on opener “Sail of the Silver Morning” and the downright glorious first single, “Glorylight and Christie”). It all adds up to a gorgeous, hypnotic listen – one of the better albums I’ve heard over the past few months.
MP3 :: Glorylight & Christie
(from Tall Hours in the Glowstream. Buy here)
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