Taylor Ashton/Stranger to the Feeling/Signature Sounds
Three out of Five Stars
Taylor Ashton expresses himself with both warmth and reserve, sharing a certain amount of circumspect without falling headfirst into any self-absorbed introspection. He can be playful—even giddy at times—not unlike John Mayer back when he was reveling in giddier instincts early on. Like Mayer, he comes across as subtle but sexy. Where Mayer raved about his mate’s body being a wonderland, Ashton exalts in the power of human touch, as effortlessly expressed in the song “Strong Hands.” We sense his delight at giving in to a mild massage, while at the same time left to wonder if that grip on his shoulders might proceed any lower.
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Then again, why dispel the mystique? Ashton’s easy, breezy melodies are enough of a salve in themselves, particularly on songs such as “Like A Movie,” “Denis,” “Afterlife,” “Love Something Leave Something,” and “More Than You’ll Ever Know,” all of which are given to hushed tones and idyllic intrigue. He occasionally opts to trumpet his triumphs, as expressed through the cheerier charms of “Beauty Sleep” and the perkier pacing of “Honey,” but clearly, Ashton isn’t necessarily prone to accelerate his efforts to any great degree. It’s all about the ambiance, and in that regard, he treads delicately and yet decidedly.
Not that he doesn’t cover ample ground. Stranger to the Feeling was recorded over the course of a 4,000-mile cross-country road trip, a scenic sojourn that took him from Brooklyn to Michigan to Eau Claire Wisconsin, and then further cross-country to Wyoming, Santa Fe, Sedona, Joshua Tree, and eventually to L.A. It was clearly a nice way to spend his summer and one that was likely written off as a business expense as well. Various guests—including Courtney Hartman, Big Thief’s Buck Meek, Lake Street Dive’s Rachael Price, Vulfpeck’s Theo Katzman, and Late Show bandleader Louis Cato— tag along at various times, but clearly it’s the caress and confluence that matter most.
Its title aside, Stranger to the Feeling makes for a joyful journey, all sweet and sensual sounds too alluring to resist. Then again, on a sensual sojourn like this, what reason is there to even try?
Photo by Shervin Lainez / Courtesy Lucky Bird Media