Whether describing joblessness, discrimination, or even just problems with the old lady, the blues have long been a means of dealing with tragedy. It’s only natural, then, that Otis Taylor uses the blues to tell the story of another group with a history of hardship: Native Americans.
On My World Is Gone, Taylor’s self-described style of “trance-blues” mixes a bevy of roots-style music ranging from solid blues to jazz to folk. The result is an album that offers a unique sound but fails to enter the pantheon of great modern blues.
The title track “My World Is Gone” stands apart from the rest of the album with a more deeply layered style that strikes an emotional chord from the first note. Through its soft strings and Taylor’s rugged, mournful singing punctuated by flurries of electric guitar, this opener evokes an emotional response that is largely absent for the rest of the album.
By the third song, “Huckleberry Blues,” Taylor finally busts out his trademark banjo but eschews his more frenzied electric style for folksier acoustic strumming and lets a gentle trumpet take the lead. The result is a cut that perfectly encapsulates the sort of fusion for which Taylor is known: it’s at once a floating jazz track, a funky groove, and a folksy piece of Americana.
Six of the album’s cuts feature guitar and vocals from Mato Nanji, a Native American musician and frontman of the blues-rock outfit Indigenous. Nanji’s playing is a highlight of the album, adding soul and a touch of sadness that perfectly fits the album’s theme.
By the last third of the record, however, Taylor’s style begins to grow a bit stale. Since he doesn’t ever really go wild on the banjo as he does on some of his earlier albums, the sound becomes somewhat monotonous and the songs begin to blur together.
Despite the slightly altered lyrical themes, the album is familiar territory for anyone who has listened to Taylor’s previous work. There’s certainly nothing wrong with it; in fact, the musicianship is quite impressive throughout the album. Still, My World Is Gone doesn’t offer any tracks that really stay with listeners or break any exciting new ground. If you enjoy blues or explorations of Americana styles, the album is definitely worth checking out. Just don’t expect your world to change as a result.
