Dudley Taft: The Speed of Life Album Review!

Artist: Dudley Taft

Album: The Speed of Life

Released: 2025

Artist Website: https://www.dudleytaft.com/home

Dudley Taft's latest release is a 12 song set of bluesy rock and roll that clocks in at 45 minutes. It is a roller coaster ride of emotions at every turn. His music has evolved since his 2023 release Guitar Kingdom, pushing a bit further into the rock side of things, while still flirting with the blues. It is his guitar playing much more so than his compositions that maintain a foot in the blues. He has the phrasing, guts and instincts of a Texas man of the blues, but the chops and compositional sophistication of a formally schooled player.

After multiple listens to the record, Pretty Little Thing is the track that has jumped out as the starting point for this review. The song comes in with an SRV influenced riff that quickly takes a seamless turn into something else altogether for the verse. He has such an interesting blend of blues rock guitar playing in the context of a clear grunge influence. His tone on the outro guitar solo is dripping with uncommon attention to detail. The tone is ballsy, warm, round and simply perfect. This writer is not one to wonder what the amp is, but this sublime tone makes me wonder what his diet is, because it is always in the hands.

An acoustic cut, Into The Blue was a pleasant surprise. This is a shining example of the clear and diverse influences that Dudley Taft easily blends into one unique cocktail. This has equal parts of Hubert Sumlin, The Beatles, Nirvana and Tom Petty. A straight classic blues riff fills the verses and then moves into a hip rock tune that would sit right at home equally comfortable on a Tom Petty or Nirvana record. Taft, like all the greats, takes his influences and twists them into something else. It is reminiscent of how Stevie Ray Vaughan took the very clear influences of Hendrix and Albert King, put them in a blender and out came something very different, fresh and terribly exciting.

Miles and Miles To Go is a microcosm of the album and all of its diverse influences. At first listen it is obvious why this one is the first radio single from the record. It has a hip surf rock vibe from the first downbeat that is just plain fun. The groove sits somewhere between a shuffle and a straight 4/4 beat in the same way that Chuck Berry was able to straddle the two grooves. Again, the vocals are steeped in Seattle droney grunge, while the guitar is somewhere else completely. It is admirable how Dudley Taft can marry so many diverse influences into one thing that is truly his own and this song is a shining example of his ability to do so.

This is a record that is very difficult to tag as one genre. It is a rock record for sure with deep roots in everything that is cool about guitar based music. His vocals are right out of mid 90s Seattle grunge while his guitar playing has at least a hint of just about every electric guitar great. He is an old soul by rock standards, but by blues standards he would be considered a cutting edge player like Joe Bonamassa. His playing falls into that 70's Peter Frampton, Ritchie Blackmore place. A place where the rock guys still had quite a bit of blues in them, while pushing the envelope into a different place, but still rooted in "talking guitar".  I highly recommend this album to guitar fans that bask in studying a master at work. This is a player that serves the song first, but does it with a virtuoso's instincts. Quite a hard line to walk, but Taft walks it loud and proud throughout the entire record.

Check out the interview with Dudley Taft below!

What's the best piece of advice another musician ever gave you?

Never turn down an opportunity to play.

What's new in the recording of your music?

Nothing is new! Haha, the equipment is mostly vintage, and we try to get the best performances we can.

How has your music changed over the years?

Like watching a child grow, it’s hard to notice day by day, but the progression happens. I get inspiration from different types of music, and I think the song transcends the genre, so I go for a song’s natural development. That usually leads to an interesting result. As my tastes change a bit from year to year, you can hear the echoes in my new material.

What inspires you to write the music you write? 

It’s like the flow of a river for me – it doesn’t stop. Sometimes it slows down, and other times there is a flood of ideas. Honestly, a blank mind makes for the best creative space, so I try to clear my head of distractions.

How does your latest album differ from any of your others in the past? 


This album is about being empty nest and enjoying the positives of middle-age: some wisdom, some money and some time to go see the world!

If you had to choose one... live performance or studio work, which do you prefer and why?  


I would choose live performing, but I do love the process of developing songs and recording them! Very often I wonder if a song will work in front of a live audience, and honestly, you never really know until you play it at a few gigs! And when it works, it’s wonderful!

How do you prepare for your performances and recording work?

I exercise A LOT before a tour so that I am in shape to sing 25 songs a night. A lot of “core” exercises especially! I practice singing and guitar playing every day weeks before a tour (I ALWAYS play guitar every day, no matter what).