The spirit of the blues lives in the solo debut from Chris Cotton. The Jimbo Mathus- produced "I Watched the Devil Die" is a breath of fresh air in the overproduced blues market. Cotton's album is driven by a vibrant country-blues style. The young bluesman pushes through soulful vocals behind his driving, finger-picked guitar on tracks like "Morgan City, Mississippi" and the title track. As a person who has lived as a vagabond hitching from California to New Orleans, Cotton's travels and experiences breathe life into his intensely personal blues on this debut album.