Shawn Taylor – The Last One

If you’re unfamiliar with Shawn Taylor, The Last One could be the album that finally brings his wandering roots music into your orbit.

Taylor’s fifth full album, released in 2025 and noted in the regional Americana scene, has already earned him recognition — The Last One was nominated for New England Music Awards’ Americana Artist of the Year. 

The term “wandering roots” fits Taylor’s sound beautifully: honest, acoustic‑leaning arrangements rooted in folk tradition but infused with storytelling earned from years on the road and a lifetime of musical curiosity.

His voice has a natural warmth, and his guitar work — often accompanied by harmonica, ukulele, or foot percussion — reveals how deeply he understands narrative in music. 

Listening to The Last One feels like encountering an old map that’s still cracking in places. There’s a lived‑in feel to his phrasing and the organic nature of the recordings — a clarity paired with room for breath, space for reflection.

It’s poignant and unpretentious, a record that feels more like a companion than a statement. 

In an era where so many records feel like they were engineered more than inhabited, The Last Onestands apart by its simplicity and honesty. It doesn’t demand attention through flamboyance but earns it through craftsmanship, patience, and heart.