Singing For Strangers - Hudson Taylor

I really love this duo. Two brothers from Ireland, formerly known as Harry and Alfie and now known as 'Hudson Taylor'. I've loved watching these two grow from their little YouTube videos and busking to seeing where they are today with such a well-put together album. It's brilliant and really captures their whole vibe.

'Battles' is probably their best known song, and has recently featured on Sky Movies HD Great Brits advert. It's a great song. And I really mean that. Everything about it is just fabulous. What I really find interesting is the video, which features kids play fighting in a forest, which isn't what I would have interpreted from the song but is definitely an interesting visual representation of this idea of battles and war. The song really builds, giving you this feeling of a journey and almost a story like atmosphere. It draws you in and has you singing along soon enough.

Songs like 'World Without You' have you tapping along to the song - something that's very prominent in many of their songs. The songs are layered so well, with a strong beat, beautiful guitar and the two wonderful voices on top of that.

You get to see a whole range of their sound in this album. Another song that really stood out to me is 'Don't Tell Me', there's this homey sound about it, the way it's got this chorus of voices gives it a community feeling. The song itself is about gay rights, which is really brilliant that they are using their music to try and make a change, and that togetherness of it really aids their message. It's a song that I just want to sing along to at the top of my lungs, I can only imagine how brilliant this song would be live and hope that I'll be able to see them preform live at some point - because these boys really are brilliant.

Obviously this is an acoustic, but was the best thing I could find!

 

One of my favourite songs of theirs is 'Weapons', I just love it. There's this really cool vibe to it and the idea behind the song is brilliant. Putting down your weapons, being vulnerable and sharing with the other person in such a vulnerable and unprotected state, it's a nice thought.

I can't not mention 'Chasing Rubies' and 'Hideaway'. Two purely brilliant and beautiful songs. I've literally run out of adjectives, I'm left a little speechless by their album. I knew it would be good, but it's just amazing. The album version of 'Hideaway' is perhaps the most beautiful song I've heard in a while, it's so emotional and had me tearing up a little. I love it.

Thought I'd share this video, because this is like the best busking I've ever seen... Like hard-core busking!

I really can't say just how much I love these guys and how brilliant their album is without writing a massive essay-like review, I could be here for years if I did that. So I'll stick to just this. All their songs make you want to sing along and dance and clap, they just seem to have that live your life vibe and I love that about them. It's not necessarily happy music, but it still makes you smile and I think that's really important in music. I really can't pinpoint what it is I love so much about these two, but I really do hope they get the success I think they deserve.

Go and buy the album! It's worth it!