Lewis Taylor | Lewis Taylor
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Lewis Taylor’s story is one of the great “what ifs” of British music. Signed to Island, the prolifically talented multi-instrumentalist from Barnet, North London had critical acclaim and vocal support from artists as esteemed as David Bowie.
He seemed poised for huge success when this debut album arrived in 1996. Perhaps the music lacked the directness needed for commercial breakthrough. Raised on a diet of Charley Patton, Faust, and Syd Barrett and having played guitar for The Edgar Broughton band, his diverse influences were threaded into multi-layered, musically complex amalgamations of neo-soul and psych, exemplified here by the likes of Lucky, Bittersweet and Track. Alongside the musical experimentation and guitar wizardry, there are stunning harmonies, too – witness the breathtakingly beautiful codas of Track, Song and Damn. But success never arrived and Taylor’s debut (alongside a handful of other brilliant recordings released before his 2006 retirement) remains one of music’s best-kept secrets.