Since the 2009 debut of Country Hai East Cotton, Hiss Golden Messenger (a.k.a. M.C. Taylor) has released ten other excellent albums, making Terms of Surrender his eleventh. Unlike the majority of these albums, Taylor’s creative partner Scott Hirsch did not participate in the latest, but producer Brad Cook helps Taylor give this music a sound that’s natural but clear, present, and inviting. Terms of Surrender was written and recorded while Taylor dealing with the death of his father and the depression that ensued, giving him considerable doubts about how the nomadic life of a musician was affecting the lives of his children. Taylor has been quoted as saying songs are “my therapy and my church” and while he is clearly working through some difficult points in his life, Terms of Surrender focuses on the themes of sorrow, uncertainty, and hope. Album highlights include: the excellent opener “I Need a Teacher”; the sparkly stomper “Happy Birthday, Baby”; “Whip”; and “My Wing.” One hopes that M.C. Taylor’s dark clouds have parted, but on Terms of Surrender he’s taken his troubles and made something beautiful and inspiring out of them. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Phil Cook, Dawes, Scott Hirsch, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Ryley Walker