From start to end, All Hour Cymbals enchants with its unusual melodies, savvy beats, and unpredictable chord and rhythm changes. Actually, its generally a polyrhythm all-around. At first, I was a little trepidatious about the record, because it comes off strong. But by the time the album had finished, I had hit the repeat button and left it there for two days.

This is the kind of record you can lose yourself in. Before long, you’ve spent a day gazing into its soul and wondering what it means, trying to unravel it all and apply it to your life. It starts cryptically, ends beautifully, and surprises in between.

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From beginning to end, White Sugar is a total treat. Projecting Buddy Guy at one moment and Joe Bonamassa at another, Taylor is part human, part chameleon, all blues.

Some people would say the album slows down towards the end, but if anything, I think it just becomes more intimate. It’s not a bad thing. Intimacy is one area where blues excels. And Taylor is an exemplary blues musician. Works all around for me.

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If Black Moses has one flaw, it’s its length. But a disc that’s epic enough to spawn genres, influence Quentin Tarantino’s films, and provide the soundscape for dozens of future artists is allowed to run as long as it wants.

Somehow, Black Moses is forgotten amongst its peers and contemporaries. To me, this is tragic. If you haven’t heard it yet, give it a couple hours and a listen. It’s worth it.

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Every track on this record is a total gem. It’s not as barren as a Bon Iver record — McMorrow doesn’t shine away from percussion, for example — but it’s a great example of the best of the folk genre. Fans of not just Bon Iver, but also Dan Griffin, will find a lot to like here.

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*Chulahoma* is a lesser-known record because, as it turns out, it doesn’t have a single original recording. Each track is a cover of a Junior Kimbrough. Kimbrough himself was a bluesman that The Black Keys called a primary influence at one point. He and The Black Keys shared a label together at one time.

The Black Keys do play these “covers” pretty fast and loose, so while they’re recognizable, they could be considerd homages more than anything. In blues, that feels appropriate: it’s more important to riff off ideas than it is to exactly represent something, and’s what The Black Keys have always been good at. If you’re a fan and you haven’t heard this record, you’ve got no clue what you’re missing.

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