2025 might be the year of Nolan Taylor. He's sure off to a hot start, at least, with the release of his debut self-titled record Nolan Taylor. Hitting streaming platforms today, just a month after the project was announced, the album comes on the heels of a prolific 2024 for Taylor. And picking up right where he left off, Nolan Taylor is a drop what you're doing and give it a listen now sort of record. Featuring 16 tracks, the project is cohesive in its introspective lyricism and melancholic presentation, both of which have been defining characteristics of Taylor's catalog thus far, but still covers a vast array of song content and ventures sonically at times with a bigger, full band sound in contrast to his typical stripped-back and acoustic instrumentation. Taylor demonstrates this right off the bat with the emphatic beginning to the lead track "I Belong In Your Arms" before continuing to weave seamlessly between stripped-back and hard-driving songs of love, loss, redemption, and more. And his uniquely powerful vocals are on full display throughout the entirety of the album's 56 minute duration. While he has been releasing music on YouTube and other social media platforms for over a decade at this point, Taylor never did so with any consistency until his heartbreaking performance of "68" experienced a viral reaction on YouTube in December 2022. This opened the door for the Blanchester, OH native to take his music career full-time, officially releasing "68" to streaming platforms in April 2023. Hitting the ground running ever since, the last year and a half has seen frequent and steady single and EP releases. But now, after putting in an immense amount of work to get to this point, his debut album Nolan Taylor is out for all to hear. The track list is comprised of nine brand new songs intermingled together with seven previously released ones, including his biggest hits to date, "68" and "Darkness," that have garnered him an exceptionally fervent fanbase in a relatively short period of time. With an innate ability to evoke emotion through his lyricism, Taylor frequently divulges his own struggles in his music, and this transparency plays a large part in why his music has resonated with so many listeners out there. Maintaining optimism throughout the hard times, his words let the listener know that they are not alone in their own struggles, that there are other people out there feeling the same way that they do. And this album is no exception in that regard. So, without further ado, go ahead and dive into Nolan Taylor's self titled debut record, Nolan Taylor. Here's a few of my early favorites: "All We Need Is A Spark" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCEMYBG0VaI "Everblue" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeVZvGReg9g "Don't Have The Words" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0v8_033awo "Tough And Fragile" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRBswau0y9A Nolan Taylor is one of the best dudes in the business, and it's awesome seeing his debut album come to fruition like this. While the only tour dates on the horizon for Taylor are a handful of opening gigs listed below, I'd imagine a headlining tour is in the works to take these new tunes on the road. Be on the lookout for more show announcements, and if he's headed anywhere near your city, you're not going to want to miss Nolan Taylor and his incredible band taking the stage. 3/13 - State Theatre - Portland, ME* 3/14 - The Strand - Providence, RI* 3/15 - The Palace Theatre - Albany, NY* 3/21 - London Music Hall - London, Canada* 3/22 - Bronson Centre - Ottawa, Canada* 3/23 - Bronson Centre - Ottawa, Canada* 4/3 - JJ's Live - Fayetteville, AR^ 4/5 - Heritage Hall - Ardmore, OK^ *Supporting Charles Wesley Godwin ^Supporting Ole 60