James Thomson – FOR THE COUNTRY RECORD Review
Cold Moon
2 June 2015 FOR THE COUNTRY RECORD CLIPPING
James Thomson is a wonderfully unassuming singer-songwriter with a calm and even energy that permeates through each song he sings. His songscapes are simple and old-school, and his influences range from alt-country to bluegrass. Despite Thomson being from Newcastle Australia his sophomore album “Cold Moon” feels like it belongs somewhere in the Southwestern United States; It has a real lonely desert feel to it. This is genuine, as the album was largely inspired by a trip Thomson took through this area. Thomson lists Bob Dylan, Robert Johnson, Woodie Guthrie, and Townes Van Zandt as major influences, and he does good job of channeling their iconic and simple Americana into the modern age. He pays homage to these folks by straying from ego or flashiness, and making this album about the songs rather than about himself.