Album review: SEAN TAYLOR – The Beat Goes On

www.seantaylorsongs.com [Release date 14.01.22]

Sean Taylor said he has made a deliberate attempt to accentuate a positive message of enjoying life through arts, love, music, things that bring people together. He sings “lose yourself in music, feel every note that you hear”, neatly summing up this whole album.

The album was recorded in London and remotely in Austin with producer Mark Hallman, who played bass, organ, drums and pedal steel and several tracks feature the sax of Irish jazzman Michael Buckle.

There is a nice jazz/swing feel on the title track and ‘It’s Always Love’, both of which are perfect for daytime radio. Something completely different is ‘Nocturne’. A piano piece that breaks up the album nicely and again is another piece of music to lose yourself in.

On ‘Better Time’ Mark Knopfler comes to mind on the guitar arrangement and vocals. It is a testament to Sean that he has his own unique singing style. Easy on the ear, yet always capturing the listener’s attention. Tom Waits is mentioned in the press release and that is a good comparison, although you really need to hear this album and judge for yourself.

‘Let Kindness Be Your Guide’ is a beautiful song, embellished with pedal steel and one with a positive message. ‘Stay With Me’ takes a similar musical direction with the pedal steel back with another show stopping vocal performance.

The album finishes with ‘The Heart of the Ocean’, where the listener is eased into the song with sounds of waves and seagulls, then piano and gentle percussion help provide the album’s stand out song. A song like this was made for headphones allowing the listener to give it their full attention.

Sean has been performing for over 20 years and is a regular on the live circuit, something which is more than ever in need of our support. Hopefully a fair few of the songs on here will feature on his gigs this year.

Sean Taylor is one of those ‘wow’ artists that you come across every so often. It is only February but I’d be surprised if this didn’t make my year end albums list. A beguiling mix of jazz, Americana and roots music topped off by Sean’s wonderful singing. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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