I kicked off my examination of The Fill with two words--Dave Perkins. The artist's name is Taylor Sorensen, a promising 22-year old named after his parents' alma mater Taylor University. This CD whetted my whistle for more music from this talented fellow, but I was as excited about Dave Perkins' production involvement on this EP as I was about the CD itself. That is, until I heard it. The CD kicks off with a kicking rocker called "Follow Me" that punches all the right buttons; beefy & raw guitars, Phil Madeira on organ, sweaty horns, background vox in all the right places and Taylor belting out a passionate call from Jesus to follow Him sounding like Jeff Lynne of ELO.
The EP features heartland rock with nice sonic touches that showcase Taylor's voice and solid songwriting. Dave Perkins (of the legendary band-that-should-have-sold a million copies Chagall Guevara) adds depth. The CD features 5 cuts; 3 in-studio and 2 live cuts, one of which is a live version of "Love Somebody Else," one of the studio cuts). The other live cut, "Sanctuary," is a standout showcasing Taylor and band in a raw, freewheeling song that makes me want to see the band live. Taylor's full-length CD, The Overflow, arrives in stores in March 2004. In the meantime, I suggest you give this EP a spin and drop it in your computer to watch Taylor live in the enhanced portion of the CD.
4.5 tocks
