Michael Nau
and
Whitney McGraw
's second post-
Page France
outing finds the Cumberland, MD duo adopting a more free-form, psychedelic foundation for their unique brand of indie Americana. 2009's
Paranoid Cocoon
found the pair awash in a dreamy, coastal twilight, and while
Tall Hours in the Glowstream
continues to explore the world through that same reverb-drenched,
Galaxie 500
-esque haze, there's a land-locked, Midwest sensibility that permeates standout cuts like "Somehow to Keep It Going", with its "All Tomorrow's Parties"-inspired floor tom and tambourine, and the Motown-meets-
Porter Wagoner
shimmy of opener "Sail of the Silver Morning." It's a solid, warm, and wonderful record through and through, though one that requires a heightened level of comfort with mid-tempo balladry -- the offbeat, horn-driven instrumental "Goethe Nayburs" offers a brief respite. Like their Chicago contemporaries
the Handsome Family
,
Cotton Jones
feels a kinship to the country-folk tradition, but is not bound to it, and with each new collection of songs, they add another couple of lines to the genre's weathered face. ~ James Christopher Monger