Chip Taylor - Unglorious Hallelujah (2006)

The latest album from Chip Taylor is actually a double disc: one disc of more carefully crafted works (Unglorious Hallelujah), and one of more spur-of-the-moment creations (Red, Red Rose & Other Songs of Love, Pain & Destruction). Both are quite good, straightforward singer/songwriter-esque pieces with a heavy dose of blues and folk mixed in. The mood is alternately tender and somber, rarely getting too excited about anything. In that sense, it tends to lean a bit toward similarities with some of Dylan's Love and Theft album. These are songs of regret, of reminiscence, and sometimes just of love. The playing from the studio band is good throughout, fitting the moods and staying relatively minimalist as the music seems to call for. Duet vocals with Carrie Rodriguez also fit the bill nicely, adding what almost seems a country feel from time to time. A very nice album for fans of the classic songwriters, with a touch of age and experience to influence the content.