Former construction worker, Picot not only is one of Americana’s most prolific artists (Four albums in the last three years), but he’s also released two collections of Poetry and a book of short stories. ‘Paper Hearts and Broken Arrows’ finds him working with producer and videographer Neilson Hubbard, and the resulting album is a slice of authentic Americana.
Picott’s voice has changed over the years. Be it down to touring, age or his fondness for Jameson Irish Whiskey it has delivered a gravelled, world-weary edge to it. And, this is no bad thing as alongside Hubbard’s production work his vocals perfectly compliment the music on the album.
The sparse opening, ‘Lover’ is deeply personal as Picott reflects on his past loves and current loneliness. A subject that is further explored in introspective ‘Mona Lisa’. Turing to his love of fiction for inspiration in ‘The Revenuer’, Picott spins a classic brooding Americana tale of moonshine, war veterans and law breaking. Digging deep into boxing mythology with ‘Sonny Liston’ Picott recounts the human tale of legendary heavy weight boxing champion Sonny Liston and the controversy surrounding his defeat in the ring to Cassius Clay and his subsequent mysterious circumstances behind his death.
Working with Massachusetts based songwriter Mark Erevelli on ‘Washington County’ the pair deliver a hard-hitting tale of food banks, unemployment and poverty, a dust bowl balled for the 21st century. Themes of rejection and alienation are explored in ‘Lost in The South’, further highlighting Picott’s affinity with social affiars and empathy with the blue-collar worker.
Working with producer Neilson Hubbard, Picott has found a companion who allows his rich lyrics and music to take on a life of their own in the most engaging manor, and on ‘Paper Hearts and Broken Arrows’ he has delivered a beautiful and haunting record featuring vivid characters, social situations and personal stories.