2015 –Sean Taylor Songs
By Phillip Smith; July 25, 2015
The Only Good Addiction is Love, Sean Taylor’s
seventh album, steers the focus away from the hustle and bustle of city living,
as was the focus on his previous album, Chase
the Night. As Taylor explains, he is now exploring the challenging world of
aesthetics, bringing out the truth in beauty and vice versa. Before the first song
of this eleven track album is finished, I’m quickly reminded of just how truly
remarkable this songwriter is.
The title track takes its
name from an inspiring quote from former Uruguayan President Jose ‘Pepe’ Mujica, who selflessly declined
the use of the presidential palace and its staff, and chose instead to live on
his modest farm, all while donating ninety percent of his salary to charity. This captivating song with a little Leonard Cohen reference, not only opens
the album, but pours a foundation fashioned from complimentary dualities. The dark swampy blues of “Bad Light” is kicked
off with the electric surge of slide guitar from Andre Moran, and masterfully accented by the deep eerie sounds of Brian Standefer on cello. I am also
heavily drawn to “Lorca”, a Spanish flavored instrumental which Taylor plays beautifully
on guitar.
Double bass virtuoso Danny Thompson returns to work with Taylor on the two tracks, “Rothko”, and
“Moma”. The former, is homage to Abstract
Expressionist Mark Rothko who also inspired
the album’s cover art. Taylor’s guitar paired with Thompson’s double bass creates a hypnotic
rhythm for the poetic lyrics to ride along.
If you ever wondered how W.B. Yeat’s “The White Birds” would
sound if set to music, wonder no more. This
vibrant poem is sweetly complimented with Taylor’s
music. “Desolation Angels” captures the essence of Kerouac’s book bearing the same name, with
Clapton-esque guitar licks and
free-wheeling prose. This is music for the soul.
The Only Good Addiction is Love is definitely in my list of favorite albums this
year. It doesn’t get much better than
this.
