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DVDfever.co.uk – Maria Taylor: LadyLuck CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Nettwerk Records
- Released: April 2009
- Rating: 8/10
- Vote and comment on this album:View Comments
Classy pop from L.A.
For three years Maria Taylor fronted dream popsters Azure Ray with Orinda Fink until they called it a day in 2004. They released three albums Azure Ray (2001) Burn And Shiver (2002) and Hold On Love (2004). They reformed for a one-off gig in LA on 30 November 2008.Their music included elements of Americana folk, alternative country with intimate lyrics and a sparse sound.Some of that formula surfaces here too, though the music is far more expansive in places.
Her hushed tones are an absolute delight almost comparable with Dido, though thats where comparisons end.Her move to LA from Nebraska , I believe, have brought some polished results fitting to the Californian soundscapes of astral folksters with an eye on a more commercial focus, without selling out.
Lady Luck shimmers along at a steady pace with jangly and wiry guitar solos, shuffling drum beats, loaded with sunny melodies and great harmonies. She can swing from the melancholic shoe-gazing to cheerfully upbeat with consummate ease. Lady Luck is basically a break up album without too much angst and bitterness, often associated with this type of theme.
It opens with 60s folk-like gem title track Lady Luck, a perky little number full of optimism. Following this is the soft-rocker Time Lapse Lifeline, again a bouncy jaunt with several catchy hooks pondering the perfect life, texturised by sweeping string arrangements, good enough to make an introductory single, if youve not heard of her before now that is.Next comes another potential single Its Time with guitar licks befitting any stadium pop-rock song around at the moment. Further in, Green Butterfly is an out-and-out pop song with nifty rockabilly beats sure to get you in the dancing mood.
Despite all the previous gushing thrusts, Taylor does killer ballads such as the melancholic beauty of My Favourite..Love like no one else, using a more stripped-back approach with acoustic guitar and huge dollops of strings which allow her soul and warmth to explode to maximum effect- this is the jewel in the crown. Broad Daylight is pretty dreary and sumptuous in equal measure, but once again she draws beauty from the sadness of the tale, with those strings doing all the tear-jerking work.
Among the many excellent moments on Lady Luck, its the intricate details of A Chance that shine through. Not only is it a classy song with pop elements, its the edgy and fuzzy guitars that make this a special track, and her voice is at its best here too husky and distant, creating masses of atmosphere.Closing an excellent album, the click-clocking country-tinged Cartoons And Forever Plans (a single) leaves us in no doubt Taylor remains as optimistic as she began Lady Luck: our love will never die.., she confirms.
The verdict: Very cool. And, downright nice too.
Weblinks:maria-taylor.com /myspace.com/mariataylor
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Lady Luck
2. Time Lapse Lifeline
3. Its Time
4. My Favourite
.Love
5. 100,000 Times
6. Green Butterfly
7. Broad Daylight
8. A Chance
9. Orchids
10. Cartoons And Forever PlansView the discussion thread.blog comments powered by Disqus= 0) {query += ‘url’ + i + ‘=’ + encodeURIComponent(links[i].href) + ‘&’;}}document.write(”);})();//]]]]>]]>
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.