Cotton Jones “Rio Ranger” EP Review
Hot off the heels of their fantastic LP, Paranoid Cocoon, the Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw project Cotton Jones has released an EP this week by the title of Rio Ranger. Like the band’s previous EPs, Ranger has a limited number of copies (1000) and is being delivered via handmade “art books.” The EP is a continuation of the band’s folky, psychedelic sunshine; the only noticeable departure from Paranoid being a lack of sleigh bells. Most of the material was recorded on the road, and tunes like “Where You Stop For A Minute” put a cheery spin on road-weariness. Though Nau takes the lead for most of Cotton Jones’ material, the best track in this collection is actually the McGraw-led “Always Feeling Good,” a drowsy piece of melancholy that sounds like Nancy Sinatra on Quaaludes. “Nicotine Canary” is also notable for its Animal Collective-esque keyboard line and pounding drums. Pick up a limited edition copy at Quite Scientific.