WRITTEN IN RED (Signature Sounds) • Louise Taylor
Some people's music seems to incorporate so much of their very essence that commentary upon it feels almost inappropriate. It's right to listen, and listen again. Right to feel, and consider things, no more about them than about yourself. What is it, I wonder, about this record I've been listening to for a few days now that makes me write these words, instead of just doing a regular review...
The artist has a strong sense of herself. So many I've known are wrapped up in their images, in who or what they'd like to be, or how they'd like to be perceived. Portraying qualities, playing to the crowd, acting. That's entertainment, as they say. But that's not what's going on here.
I'd put this CD more in the nourishment category than the entertainment category. I feel better, and I feel more, when I listen. Not because it's some kind of good time music, which it's not. What it is is many shades of blue, thoughtful and deeply felt. Louise Taylor's voice comes from such a deep place, surely that's her soul. And it's speaking to mine.
Ray Bonneville's genius for country blues resonates on the record. He co-wrote and played on "Cherry Tree," the opener. That song and Ray's composition "Two Bends in the Road" are two of the best groove tunes on the disc. Tronzo's slide work is inspired, he's a killer. There are also Celtic strands in the tapestry. Louise found the trap door between Celtic music and the blues form.
But by far, my favorite tunes on this profound disc are the atmospheric numbers, "Written in Red" and "His Hands." In these two songs, Louise Taylor stands alone, and is a treasure. This is the thinking, feeling, person's blues record, and it's a beautiful work. • FG
listen to clips return to covers louisetaylor.com
