Dear Smith Taylor,
I’m writing to tell you that every time I listen to your new record, Unbaptized Publisher, I get chills. I write this from a place of blessings, because I feel blessed that I might be able to help the world know about your extreme talent! People might call what you do R & B, but I call it magic from our ancestors! To me, you channel the blues of our past through a lens of Black celebration and discovery! As I play the song “Jack Johnson I,” my childhood running away from KKK members as a child in Georgia ceases to haunt my present-day existence. Smith Taylor, I want you to know that your guitar skills are otherworldly and extremely sublime. I wish that every young POC could start their day with “Each Day I Pray” playing in the background — songs like this are good for our mental health. Unbaptized Publisher breaks the chains of societal norms that our community tells us we have to adhere to. Real talk, this human creates anthems that that are a beacon to my inner liberation. This record is just as complex as the African American experience in this fucked up country called Amerikkka. We have lived the blues; We are the drum beat; We created Rock & Roll; We are the living examples of DIY; We have always been Punk Rock; We are the culture that sets the tone for the world to follow; We are Unbaptized Publisher; We are the song of our ancestors. Thank you, Smith Taylor, for being yourself and for being true to your creative spirit. I feel and hear you!
One Love
Sean
