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I have been waiting for “An Indiscriminate Act of Kindness” from Taylor Hicks.
Before I ever heard the track, someone said that it would “blow me away.” It was more like it completed the many sides of Taylor Hicks, the entertainer and singer. It is the other end of the soul-rock-blues- spectrum—the storyteller with a raspy, expressive voice who gently touches notes and holds tones just for the moment and weaves them into a memorable narrative. It made me realize that I had wanted to hear Taylor “back off” the music with only the sound of his incredible voice and little more.
If “Badge” gave us Taylor rocking out the house, “An Indiscriminate Act of Kindness” gives us Taylor holding the house in the palm of his hand and telling a story that needs nothing but simplicity. From the first uncomplicated instrumental sounds, to the whisper of notes, to the emotional lines of “consider it an indiscriminate act of kindness, consider it an indiscriminate act of kindness,” you are drawn into the brief journey of these two people. There is an intense emotional depth to some lines and a quiet tenderness to others—“how can you be so kind...” It is a story made compelling by the voice of Taylor Hicks.
Taylor has brought an incredible voice to many songs—The Fall, Maybe You Should, Places I’ve Been, and Do I Make You Proud. An Indiscriminate Act of Kindness goes a little beyond all those to an almost indescribable place. Perhaps it is the social conscience of the story, the raw emotion, and the voice that all combine to produce music that truly touches the soul. Perhaps it is that nothing gets in the way of your seeing and hearing this story unfold. You feel like you are there in the room, and Taylor is simply sitting beside you telling a story that he is caught up in. If lyrics paint the picture, Taylor’s voice brings the picture to life.
This is a captivating track and a remarkable performance by the entertainer who gave us “Medicated Goo” and more recently, “I Live on a Battlefield”—performances that I also love!
I don’t know what the future of this song will be. For me, it is a milestone in Taylor’s recordings because of what it is not. It is an exquisite example of “less is more.” His voice does amazing things—a little bit in the same vein as “Georgia on my Mind” from his album Early Works. While “Georgia” is not one of my favorite songs, (I much prefer some other Georgia songs like Midnight Train to Georgia, or Rainy Night in Georgia), I recognized the unique qualities of Taylor’s voice on that recording.
When The Distance dropped and I headed to my Target on March 10, I was disappointed that they did not have the album in yet. I knew this was the song that I especially wanted to hear Taylor sing. I waited and was content to listen to 11 other great tracks. It took some doing the hear An Indiscriminate Act of Kindness for the first time.
I knew from the very first listen that it was exactly what I had been waiting for…pure Taylor voice. It unlocked that little corner of Taylor Hicks that I had yet to hear. In many ways, it is the most stunning performance yet by Taylor.
Before I ever heard the track, someone said that it would “blow me away.” It was more like it completed the many sides of Taylor Hicks, the entertainer and singer. It is the other end of the soul-rock-blues- spectrum—the storyteller with a raspy, expressive voice who gently touches notes and holds tones just for the moment and weaves them into a memorable narrative. It made me realize that I had wanted to hear Taylor “back off” the music with only the sound of his incredible voice and little more.
If “Badge” gave us Taylor rocking out the house, “An Indiscriminate Act of Kindness” gives us Taylor holding the house in the palm of his hand and telling a story that needs nothing but simplicity. From the first uncomplicated instrumental sounds, to the whisper of notes, to the emotional lines of “consider it an indiscriminate act of kindness, consider it an indiscriminate act of kindness,” you are drawn into the brief journey of these two people. There is an intense emotional depth to some lines and a quiet tenderness to others—“how can you be so kind...” It is a story made compelling by the voice of Taylor Hicks.
Taylor has brought an incredible voice to many songs—The Fall, Maybe You Should, Places I’ve Been, and Do I Make You Proud. An Indiscriminate Act of Kindness goes a little beyond all those to an almost indescribable place. Perhaps it is the social conscience of the story, the raw emotion, and the voice that all combine to produce music that truly touches the soul. Perhaps it is that nothing gets in the way of your seeing and hearing this story unfold. You feel like you are there in the room, and Taylor is simply sitting beside you telling a story that he is caught up in. If lyrics paint the picture, Taylor’s voice brings the picture to life.
This is a captivating track and a remarkable performance by the entertainer who gave us “Medicated Goo” and more recently, “I Live on a Battlefield”—performances that I also love!
I don’t know what the future of this song will be. For me, it is a milestone in Taylor’s recordings because of what it is not. It is an exquisite example of “less is more.” His voice does amazing things—a little bit in the same vein as “Georgia on my Mind” from his album Early Works. While “Georgia” is not one of my favorite songs, (I much prefer some other Georgia songs like Midnight Train to Georgia, or Rainy Night in Georgia), I recognized the unique qualities of Taylor’s voice on that recording.
When The Distance dropped and I headed to my Target on March 10, I was disappointed that they did not have the album in yet. I knew this was the song that I especially wanted to hear Taylor sing. I waited and was content to listen to 11 other great tracks. It took some doing the hear An Indiscriminate Act of Kindness for the first time.
I knew from the very first listen that it was exactly what I had been waiting for…pure Taylor voice. It unlocked that little corner of Taylor Hicks that I had yet to hear. In many ways, it is the most stunning performance yet by Taylor.
Get The Distance with “An Indiscriminate Act of Kindness” bonus track at Target stores!
Photo "Taylor at Roxy's" by San_TTHC. Please do not repost.
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