Retired Outlaw
Fanatic, 2022
9/10
A veteran songwriter and author, Crash Taylor brings his baritone pipes and fluent guitar playing to these diverse tunes that revolve around a timeless version of Americana.
“Fretboard” starts the listen with crisp drums, moody organ and spirited guitar as Taylor’s smooth, husky vocals guide the thoughtful rocker, and “Idlewild” continues that approach with breezy melodies, soulful guitar picking and well timed backing vocals.
Towards the middle, the thumping and playful roots rock of “Birthday Suit” is quite memorable, while “Where’s My Baby” sits firmly in blues territory with its warm acoustic guitar, meticulous electric guitar and cozy backing vocals.
Closer to the end, the darker textures of “Mona Lisa” are quite expressive, even dreamy, and “Let Him In” follows with some retro folk qualities that truly showcases Taylor’s exceptional songwriting prowess.
There’s also a companion book with the release, titled pot.dot.com: Tales Of A Retired Outlaw. An outsider novel, the story centers around a weed dealer from Greenwich Village who finds themselves getting mixed up with social activists with a penchant for computers, and together they search for the true meaning of existence.
If you’re like me, the name Crash Taylor won’t mean much to you, but spend any significant time with his creative output and you’ll find yourself a fan pretty quick.
Travels well with: Erisy Watt- Eyes Like The Ocean; Bailey Bigger- Coyote Red