BRAD COX
My Mind's Projection
SONY
On his slick and smoky second album, Wollongong twang-lord Brad Cox goes above and beyond the staples of the Americana rulebook, delivering a truly rich and riveting collection of to-be campfire classics and barnyard bangers. There’s a might to his pipes that outright commands attention, his thick (and surprisingly credible) Texan drawl shining bright on numbers like “Drinking Season” and the title track, both of which feel like true country gems ripped straight from the annals of Nashville’s best.
Of course, an album like this would be nothing without its guitar solos. Let us assure you, then, that My Mind’s Projection is positively packed with rip-roaring stringwork, dry and dirty twangs bending and booming around each of Cox’s elastic vocal quips like it ain’t no thang. Calmer cuts like “Short Lived Love” and “Wasted Time” use gruff electric lines tastefully to flesh out atmospheres otherwise quaint and understated, while acoustics and lap-steels build defiantly beautiful foregrounds for Cox to croon over.
Most important is that although Cox sings in a heavy Southern accent and plays closely to the rhythmic cruxes of Americana, My Mind’s Projection feels undeniably, 100 percent authentic. Cox wears his heart on his sleeve with impenetrable pride on the record, the weight of his soul bared fully on tracks like “Remedy” immediately palpable. Not only is this easily one of 2020’s best country releases, it’s one that makes us especially desperate for live music to kick back up in full force; we downright need to hear these songs come to life onstage.
