Hudspeth & Taylor — Folie a deux

In the stack of CDs that arrive every few days, eager for review, there is occasionally one that catches my eye before it catchers my ear. Once in awhile there is a CD that stands apart from the rest simply by offering an original, intriguing cover. Such is the case with Hudspeth & Taylor’s debut release, Folie a deux.

Just as infrequently is there a direct correlation between pleasing artwork on the outside and pleasing music on the inside. This is not the case in this case. With Brandon Hudspeth & Jaisson Taylor’s Folie a deux, what you see is what you get. The cover art and photography by Rural Harvest are a hint at the warmth, wit, and dynamic music that the album delivers.

With Hudspeth on guitar and Taylor contributing vocals and percussion of all kinds, this an impressive collection of 13 tracks, each of which offer a unique take on acoustic blues. The sounds they make have dimension and character, and although they are originals, the performances by Hudspeth & Taylor make them timeless. These are two highly collaborative artists doing what they do best — playing at the playing of music. The entire album is a joy, and will justify my CD player having a “repeat” button for a long time to come.