PAUL THORN What the Hell Is Goin’ On? [Perpetual Obscurity]  Its title comes from one of the songs contained in this set of covers, but Paul Thorn has earned such a reputation for his own singular, sometimes autobiographical material that its existence might well provoke the titular question from fans. What’s going on, according to Thorn himself, is simply an effort to paint beyond his usual palette. The results turn out to be as idiosyncratic... 

PAUL THORN Pimps and Preachers [Perpetual Obscurity Records] Paul Thorn has been kicking around the edges of the Americana scene for years, opening for high-profile acts while never quite breaking through himself. It’s not for lack of artistry. His latest is a collection of vivid songs that draw on the opposite impulses Thorn absorbed from his father and an uncle—preacher and pimp, respectively—and colored with his own wry outlook. Thorn takes...