albums and tracks

Benjamin Taylor is a talented man. His musical arsenal includes an earnest jazzy voice, an innate sense of melody and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour - undeniably a testament to his gifted lineage.

With The Legend of Kung Folk Part 1 (The Killing Bite), his third fully-fledged release, Taylor sticks with the lo-fi, Jack Johnson-esque aesthetic familiar to his previous effort, Another Run Around The Sun. His sensual vocals glide over melodic phrases about love, lust and yearning, while his gentle guitar flirts with the traditional folk blueprint.

As usual, his voice simmers under the surface, rarely rising from a hushed silence, and often disappearing into the serene atmospheric landscape. At times, this can grow tedious. In particular, the first half of the album is spoiled by what can only be described as inoffensive trepidation. Songs like 'Wrong' and 'She's Gone' are so quiet and unobjectionable that they're as easy to forget as take in.

Luckily, cuts like 'Dangerous Girl' and 'Wilderness' bring the grit needed to prevent the listener from sinking into a mild stupor. Both songs experiment with funk and folk, leading to an uplifting electronic climax in the latter.

These are followed by tender takes such as 'You're The One For Me' and the beautiful 'Space' - a track that unconsciously aspires to the musical splendour and vulnerability of Beck's Sea Change.

Still, by the end, it's hard not to feel a little dissatisfied. As the lyrics to the final song say, "After it's over, it's over" and The Legend of Kung Folk fails to leave a lasting impression.

Omar Kholeif