West Taylor - Available Parts (2024) Hi-Res

Columbus Ohioan musician West Taylor released his album Available Parts. This is a panoramic view of folk and older style country music and as you get further into the album, the tunes get richer with meaning and some added banjo and fiddle.

The album opens with “Losing My Way,” “everything ends up blowing away, and leavin’ nothing good behind,” and strummed acoustic guitar nice and easy like a ’70s folk song. Then “Mile Higher” adds some pedal steel to the mix, and a faster tempo. By the time you’re into the third song, you’re having a slow dance in a Western saloon with the pedal steel turned sorrowful. “But I ain’t riskin’ the smell of her perfume.”

Then the magic increases as the title track pays homage to disillusionment: “when talking heads say the world is ending, do they ever say the price it pays?” and then there’s a little mandolin and some sweet vocal harmonies: “burn the ships, break your heart, mend what’s left with available parts, find your place out among the stars, keep your feet on the ground.” If you need to start at the heart of the album, play this one first. Or maybe start with the next one: “Cumberland River” is some sweet banjo and fiddle, and it sounds a little like some old Son Volt.