Georgia-based Pony Bradshaw (a.k.a. James Bradshaw) follows-up his excellent 2019 debut album Sudden Opera with Calico Jim – a polished LP in which each song tells a unique southern tale that are connected through themes of nature, spirituality, and humanity. With Calico Jim, Bradshaw creates a colorful rural southern small-town setting filled with diverse characters set to a satisfying mix of blues, rootsy folk, and traditional country. Bradshaw describes the album as the relationship between humans and nature: “It’s about a region connecting with its history and past.” Notable tracks include: the opening/title track about a displaced Southerner; the gorgeous hazy country tune “Dope Mountain”; the tearjerker “Jimmy the Cop”; the southern rocker “Saw-Toothed Jericho”; the upbeat track “Foxfire”; the beautiful song about being spiritually enlightened by a Mennonite woman with “Guru”; and the melancholy closing track “Pork Belly Blossom.” Pony Bradshaw’s Calico Jim is one of the best albums released so far this year – it’s honest, raw and compulsively toe-tapping. – Written by JFelton
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