When I received an email requesting I listen to Western Symphony by Tar and Flowers aka Taylor Hungerford the first thing that I noticed was the album cover. It’s a drawing of a man on a chariot with two horses looking like he is escaping the end of the world. It caught my attention and I decided to listen. If the music was half as epic as the art I was all in.
I will tell you this album was quite the experience. Things ramp up with “overture” which captures the winds and narratives of the western plains. You get guitar, drums and what sounds like a war cry from the 19th century. What an introduction to the album.
“You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are” simmers things down to more of a folk flavor and the first time we get any lyrics. His vocals are soft and comforting in some ways. The song soon became a huge production. I enjoyed how the vocals were used here and shifts in energy made it feel like a ride. There’s a lot of imagery and I also noticed some elements that felt Eastern which gave a slight psychedelic feeling that I thought was very original.
“Heaven When You’re Home” was the most emotional song yet. Hungerford sings in a comfortable range and I thought the lyrics painted a clear narrative that was easy to follow along with and enjoy. There’s a warmth to this song which feels like home.
The mood lifts on “Nothing To Say” and a banjo and what sounds like a fiddle help elevate this song. This is a very fun song and the first time I listened to it I felt like I knew it. This quickly became one of the tracks I found myself returning to.
“Outward Boundary” needs to be used in a movie or video game. If they make Red Dead Redemption 3 this is a song they should use while living on the ranch and pondering about life on the land.
“What Was Again Shall Be” made me feel like I was transported to Ireland and sitting on a boat. It was an interesting change in terrain. We get some more great songs that follow like “Hello Bluebird.” There are good times ahead with dance worthy “Spinning in Gold.” “Southwestern Wind” and “Bailey Blue” were great. “Bailey Blue” had a similar aesthetic to the folk singer Donovan. “Home” feels like the end of the day. Dusk is setting in and there’s nothing else to do but close your eyes. It’s a perfect way to end.
