8 September 2022

Review: Beyond The Reservoir – Julian Taylor

‘Beyond The Reservoir’ is the exciting new album from Toronto based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor. The album opens with the melancholy ‘Moonlight’ with it’s beautiful backing vocals and Hammond B3 laying the foundations. The swooning pedal steel making you feel at home, this track is a strong opening to a well written record. The single ‘Seeds’ with it’s upbeat folksy feel to it, dives into the themes of loss and rising from the the ashes of that. Taylor’s conversational style vocals are stronger than they’ve ever been, the melodies on this track are catchy and could help it cross over into the mainstream. The record is one of his most personal to date and you can hear the vulnerability in his voice in certain tracks where he perfectly balances the emotion. In the closing track, ‘Opening the Sky’ he sends a message to his daughter, “What I’m saying to her here is, it’s ok to keep going”. The whole record boasts a polished production which is credit to Taylor and Saam Hashemi. This is Taylor’s best work to date and a strong contender for one of the records of the year! 

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Review: Spellbound – Judy Collins

After 82 years, most of which she has spent entertaining people across the globe, Judy Collins is back with her first all original record, ‘Spellbound’. The album details the highs and lows of her life and career. The record takes you on a journey and lyrically was inspired by her journal entries she keeps. A stand out track is ‘Hell on Wheels’ in which Collins revisits her reckless teenage years. Though much of the record was written in the pandemic, Collins goes back to the late 80s with ‘The Blizzard’ which is another brilliant track that has become a fan favourite in her live shows. What strikes me as I listen to the title track ‘Spellbound’ is just how wonderful her melodies are and how, after all these years, her voice is still pure and strong as she captivates you with those melodies. It’s a fantastic record from Collins who, after a busy summer of festivals, is still touring round the world with this fabulous collection of songs. 

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