Joan Shaw Taylor has been in the music scene for almost 20 years, having been discovered by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics at the age of 16. Her first album was released on Ruff Records in 2009 and her last album, The Blues Album, reached number 1 worldwide on the blues charts. She has also won awards in almost every field of blues.
In many ways, this new release sees Taylor returning to her roots with a collection of songs that showcase her many talents as a lyricist, guitarist, and singer of blues, soul, and rock. Her voice is the best I've ever heard it. There's still a husky, dark side to her voice, but it's much clearer, enhancing the emotion of the songs.
The songs are deeply personal and have the feel of an experienced yet open-minded performer, as she returns to making the music that suits her best, but which has evolved from the more basic sounds of her past.
In the opening number, “Sweet Li'l Lies,” she sings with passion and meaning over ear-splitting riffs, a funky beat, and uplifting piano lines. The song exudes drama and tension, and is one of her best works.
The same passion is present on “Wild Love,” where her Telecaster produces another great riff, and her voice has a slight tremor, but there's still rawness and soul to it.
“Black Magic” is a swamp rock classic: her voice growls, the guitar line is understated, and the whole song is a funky explosion.
My favourite song is her version of Joe Simon's “Drowning In A Sea Of Love” – a classic blues/soul number that's really danceable and features a great solo on a worn out Telecaster. Her vocals remind me of Dusty Springfield in a way and the classic soul backing vocals give it a real classy feel.
This feels like an artist finding his niche, making music that he loves and, most importantly, finds fulfillment in.