I love to see young musicians inspired by the Blues. In my last review, I said that Hughes Taylor was a blues musician: That’s what I heard in his originals and in his well-executed live renditions of SRV and other strongly blues-influenced artists.
However, his latest album, Modern Nostalgia has had me question that blue box I put him. As a result, I enjoyed this album even more than I had expected to, and have a renewed interest in following his artistic evolution.
Boxes only check boxes, and they sometimes confuse us into thinking that formulaic, hack music is art. But, as Solomon told us, there is nothing new under the sun, and there is no such thing as completely original work, which is fortunate: Our brains rely on pattern recognition to engage us. However, they simultaneously long for the fresh and new to provide the novelty that holds our interest.
Actual artists often begin with a formula, retain enough of it to provide the familiarity that the recipient needs, and then provide it with a stamp of their own. That’s why Van Gogh is easily recognized as Van Gogh, even if you have never before seen a particular painting, why Stravinsky can only be Stravinsky, and why Dylan always sounds like Dylan. If you follow any of their work over time, you’ll see that uniqueness becoming gradually more apparent.
On the last album. Live in the UK, 2020, songs like Gotta Find My Way Home and Just One Night had impressive guitar work and enjoyable solos, but some of the sound influences I heard (SRV and Cream, respectively) were often too salient to feel unique or to provide that extra push that makes a song memorable. That’s not to say that there weren’t some gems on the album - Hold You Tight will break your heart with its B.B. phrasing, and Promises turns Etta James inside out to lift your heart up again. Artists of every kind stay close to original techniques and master those before finding a sound that is truly their own, and Hughes was no different.
Modern Nostalgia marks an evolutionary point in Hughes’ development as an artist. It is, certainly, a zig-zag romp through the decades and their best artists. You’ll hear 70’s pop in Waiting, BB-style blues on Excuses, Petty’s punchy guitar is apparent in The Refugee, and Highwayman brings to mind ZZ Top. It’s actually a lot of fun to pick these influences out and even note what appears to be clever hints in the titles. However, the difference on this album is that these originals are simply nods of appreciation to those path forgers; While Hughes may borrow styles of the past, they are combined more creatively, and he is firmly in the driver’s seat this time.
Another difference in this album is that the other band members contributions are highlighted more. Greg Sassaman’s drum intro to the opening song on the album, Treat Me Right, gets your feet tapping right away. Johnathan Benton’s drum interludes clearly signal the rise in energy before the wah wah Jiminess on Quarentine Blues and the Duane slide on Highwayman. Tom Wilson’s organ keys come in soon after the guitar intro in Prettiest Thief, adding another bass-line to boost the SRV-like riffs, and his Doors-like solos turn the Santana tremelo even more mystical-sounding on Wicked Woman.
There is, additionally, a growing maturity in some of the songs’ lyrics on this album –you can hear a young man getting older. Lyrics to The Refugee are bleak: Evening comes/To remind the Refugee that he’s out of time/The refugee a heavy soul/On the run with nowhere to go/No time for the refugee/No love or sympathy.
Dreamily is similar in tone, but more bittersweet than bitter. The smooth jazz, lazy-Sunday morning sound is something I haven’t heard from Hughes: Like the lyrics say, I won’t deny/this is not what I had in mind. I think I might have liked this well-crafted song coming from someone else, but I so look forward to those trademark heavy guitar solos that I couldn’t get into it as much. However, keep in my mind that I’m a rocker chick, not an indie girl – your results may vary.
She’s My Everything brought the mood back up with its rockabilly 1950’s/Stray Cats strut. The addition of sax makes this song extra fun and danceable. Excuses was my favorite song on the album with its slow and easy crawling bass line and B.B.-style tightness, and I’ve always enjoyed Trouble, which found its way to this album from earlier work. While not particularly complex, it has a pesky bass line (Nate Lee) that I just love.
No Evil Love is wholly different sound – imagine Creaminess on top of an amplified acoustic folksy-blues, briefly visiting the Allman Brothers and Molly Hatchet, before floating away on a cloud. This one, too, is not what I’ve come to expect from Hughes, but, tied with Wicked Woman, was also a favorite on the album. It’s definitely rocker-chick worthy.
Obviously, this album is a real showcase of guitar versatility, and, try as I might, I couldn’t understand the order of songs. They didn’t seem arranged by decade, genre, theme, or mood, and made more of a sound patchwork than a story. But, that’s nostalgia for you, more patchy than chronological, and perhaps that was the point. And, the unusual album composition, Hughes’ work reminded me that art often defies clear categorical boundaries.
Nostalgia, “modern” or otherwise, is looking back on the good things that have come before. I look back fondly on Hughes’ past work, and I am enjoying Modern Nostalgia now. I believe that Hughes will continue to work and create a singular, recognizable musical voice from the amalgam of these different styles and influences. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him and for what he holds for the future.
