Listening

The son of James Taylor and Carly Simon, Ben Taylor has a voice that resembles his dad in its gentle, matter-of-fact delivery and that shows the benefits of growing up in a musical family, as he tackles a variety of styles. Ben's fourth full-length studio album, Listening, has several standout cuts right at the onset. The title track strips down the sound to acoustic guitar and spare beats before bringing forth the atmospherics. "Oh Brother" cruises with Hammond B-3 organ licks and a strutting beat. "Not Alone" sits down at the Fender Rhodes and locates the early '70s in vibe and in chord progressions, as Taylor sounds like he's switched over to Paul Simon's family. "America" throws out a Portishead-style trip-hop/reggae groove. "Vespa's Song" starts as a mystery noirscape before breaking into daylight with a near–heartland rock feel. "Dirty" works a Ben Folds Five piano-pop angle. The acoustic-countrified "Next Time Around" shows that Ben is still best when he settles on being a Taylor. The deluxe edition adds an acoustic take of "America" and "Shade or Shine," a tune that shouldn't have been left off the album's standard version.