Archery

A few years ago, you may remember, Page France caused considerable commotion in these pages through their stunning full-length, Hello, Dear Wind. The album showed true bravery in simple, memorable songs, examining an idiosyncratic view of Christian faith and love which contrasted nicely with another popular album which considered a nominally similar, yet very different faith. Page France's, or perhaps more accurately Michael Nau's, world was fantastic: dancing animals, windy days, kings, queens, and angels, all in a circus-- a wonderful amalgamation of a metaphor which served a very real purpose. In singing and dancing and stomping Nau embraced and overcame the inevitable mortal restrictions-- the ringleader's direction, if we're running with this-- through a beautiful and absolute faith in good. To say that this sophomore effort was accomplished would be an understatement.

Since then, and I can't really hold this against them, Page France has all but dissolved over the course of a few EPs and a full-length which never quite captured their successor's easy brilliance (Sean at Said the Gramophone voiced this well last year). And now we have Nau as the Cotton Jones Basket Ride, and I'm still not quite certain if the music is better, or I'm just more receptive after the name change. There's more soul and groove, though the sound is still small and comfortable-- give it a chance.

Cotton Jones Basket Ride - Midnight Monday and a Telescope
The Archery EP (Quite Scientific; 2008)

Cotton Jones Basket Ride - Had Not a Body
Paranoid Cocoon (Quite Scientific; 2007)