Ever since his 2003 groundbreaking Country Boy debut, Taylor’s been regarded as a zydeco maverick. The disc, released more than half a year before Zydeco Trouble ever played publicly, was a distinct concoction of zydeco, contemporary R&B and hip-hop with a sound that could only be described as urban zydeco. Interestingly, Taylor did so utilizing the piano-note accordion, a box that’s rarely played by new breed upstarts who favor the diatonic variety.

 

The sophomore effort expands upon that blueprint with considerable innovation. Given the jarring, soul-drenched, sans zydeco opener, “Country Boy II,” it seems that Taylor has gone off the deep end for a more commercial sensibility. But the shock gradually wears off and soon he launches into some fairly bouncy zydeco. Half way through the album, Taylor unloads another round of surprises — a rollicking duet, “It’s All Right,” with rising pop star Marc Broussard and a modern Santana feel with “Something in Your Eyes.” “Blue Jeans” kicks off with a salsa riff before shifting into some hard-rapping zydeco, and on “Kiss Me Like You Miss Me,” he ventures into ’60s classic soul, replete with scratchy record poppings.

 

Occasionally the lyrics are steamy (the accompanying bonus disc is even steamier) but that’s part of the plan. Taylor has clearly distanced himself from the rest of the pack and that’s not changing anytime soon.