Cutting-edge bluesman Otis Taylor's four earlier albums established him as a master of the genre's dark side, matching tales of hangings and prison with brooding, near-psychedelic soundscapes. This often-autobiographical disc, his first self-produced effort, illuminates the songwriter-banjoist-guitarist's lighter musical interests. With the plainspoken "Mama's Selling Heroin" and stories of slavery ("Took Their Land") and hardcore poverty ("Plastic Spoon," "Reindeer Meat"), Taylor obviously hasn't abandoned his obsession with tragedy. Yet he soft-sells the bitter "Sounds of Attica" and the bittersweet "Please Come Home Before It Rains" by tapping the bright guitar tones and grooves of African highlife. The mellower sounds of horns, cello, and harmonica replace his regular guitarist Eddie Turner's Hendrix-fueled explorations in all 12 songs. Taylor's 17-year-old daughter Cassie, who's added ghostly backing vocals to her dad's previous recordings, plays bass throughout and sings a warm, purring lead on "Buy Myself Some Freedom," a young girl's wish for a better life in the '60s South. With many blues fans and influential critics already on his side, these kinder, gentler arrangements could win Taylor the crossover success he deserves. --Ted Drozdowski