Mathus brings that same unvarnished approach to acoustic guitarist Chris Cotton's I Watched the Devil Die, on which he serves as producer and support player. Like Matthus, Cotton has a knack for writing songs that sound like they came from another era and sings and plays them with conviction. The country blues of the title track and "Morgan City, Mississippi," punctuated by Cotton's guttural growl, offer a soundtrack to the legendary crossroads. Cotton also covers his obvious influences, picking tunes by Blind Willie McTell, Mississippi John Hurt and Skip James.