Otis Taylor knows he's a hard sell.

Even though critically acclaimed, his "trance-blues" sound and often-dark lyrics aren't mainstream. One writer described the music as "Rocky Mountain death ballads." A big name when he tours Europe, he plays clubs locally.

"People either love me or hate me. You know that, don't you?" the Boulder resident said, chuckling. "There's no middle ground."

Despite years of near-universal positive reviews, including praise for his new album, Definition of a Circle, Taylor still hears the criticism of his music.

"Too depressing? I thought it was the blues. No chord changes? I thought you liked John Lee Hooker," Taylor said. "They'd come up with this stuff to not like me that didn't make any sense. The blues world is very conservative."

Still, he does what he does. As an artist, "you want interesting songs," he said. "Interesting songs might not be commercial songs. They may be a little dark. I think dark is interesting."

So, it would seem, does the public, given the popularity of reality TV, CSI and bloody dramas like The Sopranos.

"But you make a record and it has a little darkness in it and they get upset," he said. "They'll sit and watch dark stuff on the TV all day long, but put the dark stuff on the record: 'Man, that's a dark record. Let's shut this off and go watch TV.' "

Definition of a Circle leavens his dark outlook a bit with a couple of tender love songs dropped into the middle of the usual mayhem, along with hot guitar work from British guitar hero Gary Moore.

"This one was a little more sort of sweet and sour, you know? This is about as commercial as I'm going to get," Taylor said. "I'm happy with it. It's the best I ever did. But all artists think (that)."

Despite a profile that has risen for a decade, especially in Europe, Taylor remains Colorado's most highly praised "unknown" talent. (It's getting easier, however. This time, even Target is carrying the new album.)

"I'm undiscovered. I will always be undiscovered. That's why the critics like me. I'm like the little phenomenon. It's good to be obscure, because every day you get discovered."