After a string of single and EP releases, the Hudson Taylor brothers have finally graced us with a fully fledged debut album.

“Singing For Strangers” is aptly named as the duo started off busking in the streets before becoming a name that seems to appear nearly everywhere.

The albums itself starts off incredibly strong with “Just A Thought”, which really shows off their lovely harmonies and it’s a great catchy bit of folk-pop. From there, it plays out as what is essentially a “best of” compilation of their previous releases with a few new tracks added in for good measure. This is by no means a bad thing though, as nearly all their material very strong and is able to work well together to make what is an impressive debut.

Those looking for a more traditional folk record may end up being a little bit disappointed as “Singing For Strangers” does have some very strong pop sensibilities strung into the tracks and they don’t quite have the creativity as, say, Simon and Garfunkel who they seem to be emulating very heavily. However, it does need to be mentioned that “Singing For Strangers” is still only a debut release and should be measured by the level of potential Hudson Taylor have to create something really special in the future.

At the moment, it’s very understandable to dismiss the band as yet another folk-pop act that have turned up after the massive success of Mumford and Sons, yet if you think like that then you’re probably missing the point. The record is setting the groundwork for what could potentially be a really creative and powerful sound in the future.

Overall, for people who really enjoy folk music, there may not be enough in “Singing For Strangers” to enjoy, as there seems to be a bit too much traditional pop music mixed into what Hudson Taylor to do. However, this album really shows off the talent that the two brothers have and it’s still and enjoyable listen regardless. It may be hard for folk “purists” to enjoy what their offering at the moment, but it’s very easy to get excited about the future of the band. Let’s hope they pull it off.