By David O’Neill
Joanne Shaw Taylor has already released seven of the ten tracks on her latest offering which makes me wonder, with this number of tracks already in the public domain, what else it has to offer in the remaining tracks. The answer is her gritty voice and sublime guitar playing, in all honesty.
Her long-time collaboration with Joe Banamassa is present in both the album’s publication through the guitarist’s Journeyman Records imprint and his appearance in the title track. Further relationships with the production by Kevin Shirley who has worked with Beth Hart, (another of my favourite musicians) add to the body of work.
The theme of the album is the plethora of emotions that we all experience when love rears its gorgeous and sometimes damning head in our lives. There are some standout tracks that offer her the opportunity to make her guitar truly feel the emotions on display, such as on ‘Tired Of Being Right’.
‘This Is Who I Am’ has a distinct Bond-theme feel, which led to its selection for the spy thriller, ‘The Day Of The Jackal’ – and I loved it. ‘Bad Boy’ is much more upbeat than the previous offerings and I’m sure will go down a storm live.
And as if one legendary guitarist on an album isn’t enough, collaboration with Orianthi makes it a double on ‘What Good Is My Love’ another of the upbeat tracks tackling unrequited love.
The final three tracks are the ones that have yet to reach the public domain, well until now.
‘Never Gonna Please ‘em All’ has a more rocky feel to it and espouses the freedom that realisation can bring. ‘You And Me’ is the final comprehension that love isn’t easy, that it needs work and if its worth it, will find a way. The emotion in her vocal is plain to hear and the composition is easy to listen to, yet still conveys the emotion.
Closer ‘Death Wish’ expresses the warning that the subject is not a pushover. The guitar solo prior to the midpoint chorus is very bluesy and potent in the track ethos.
The album is a rollercoaster, such is love. It is exceptionally well crafted and produced and deserves a place in any blues fan/JST collection. This will be very well received live, however much she takes from it into the live arena.
- ‘The Trouble With Love’ will be released on Friday (23 October).
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Joanne Shaw Taylor’s new album ‘The Trouble With Love’ is released by Journeyman Records on October 23rd via www.joanneshawtaylor.com