Album Review: Cassie Taylor - "Out of My Mind"

Cassie Taylor
Out of My Mind
Yellow Dog Records

Cassie Taylor - "That's My Man"

The daughter of bluesman Otis Taylor, bassist, keyboardist, and vocalist extraordinaire Cassie Taylor has lived music all her life. As a teenager, she sang and played in her father’s band, appearing on eight albums and touring the world. In 2011 she released Blue, her solo debut, and then hit the road in the trio Girls with Guitars.

Packed with soulful singing and blazing 6-string, Taylor’s new Out of My Mind is a mesmerizing, nuanced, and imaginatively arranged collection of blues-inflected originals. Her big, round bass is deep in the pocket, but it’s her voice that’s so arresting. Taylor floats through her melodies with a relaxed, sassy vibe and none of the melismatic tinsel that plagues many contemporary female singers. And when she hits the gas, man, you feel it.

In guitarist Steve Mignano, Taylor has a perfect foil. His long, searing bends and snarling riffs wrap around Taylor’s latte voice like a well-worn leather glove. Tone for days, deluxe dynamics, spirited delivery—Mignano has it all. He mingles fat Wheels of Fire-era Clapton licks with the snappy attack of Texas titans Doyle Bramhall and David Grissom. If you’re craving rootsy music delivered with a fresh, progressive flair, this is it.

Must-hear track: “That’s My Man”