Album Review: James Thomson - Cold Moon

Thomson’s debut album was an introduction to a songwriter already sounding beyond his years in terms of his songs and their lived-in delivery.

That promise has been refined and stylistically expanded on this exceptional follow-up. Thomson imbues its themes of affairs of the heart, both good and bad, the way a city can wear you down and the desire to escape to the country, with convincing emotional vulnerability and weight, drawing from the blue/country/folk traditions. The resonant balance of melody, emotion and authenticity makes this one of the finest local Americana albums of recent years.