Chart-topping British blues rock guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor‘s new album, Heavy Soul, is out now, through Journeyman Records.
Recorded at the historic RCA Studios just before its closure, with Taylor commenting: “I love the history – it seemed like the natural place to come back to. It’s been a wonderful album to make.” And so it sounds too, as anyone who’s heard the recent singles issued from the parent album.
Now, Taylor, delivers one final single, ‘Drowning In A Sea Of Love‘ – Thus is a soulful rendition was inspired by Eva Cassidy’s version of soul icon Joe Simon’s 1971 R&B hit. Introduced to Taylor by producer Kevin Shirley, it captures the album’s theme of exploring emotional depths through a blend of blues and soul music.
Blues, with a little whack of funk, ‘Drowning In A Sea Of Love’ features an all-too brief guitar solo simply flirts with you.
Available on streaming channels, you can check out the official music video here at RAMzine.
Heavy Soul emerges from Taylor’s creative vision of bridging the gap between her previous album Nobody’s Fool and her blues origins. The album is said to offer a fusion of contemporary soul-pop with traditional blues roots. It features an array of accomplished musicians, including Anton Fig, Alison Presswood, and Rob McNelley blending their unique talents.
Reflecting on the creation of Heavy Soul, Taylor said, “For me, it was about connecting the dots from Nobody’s Fool back into the blues… It’s a mix of contemporary soul-pop and roots music.”
Taylor continues her ascent in the music world with this new release. Her journey, began at the age of 16 when discovered by Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics, has seen her garner accolades from music icons like Stevie Wonder and Annie Lennox. Following the success of albums like Reckless Heart, The Blues Album, and Nobody’s Fool, Taylor’s Heavy Soul is likely to be another landmark in her illustrious career.
Produced by Kevin Shirley (The Black Crowes, Journey, Aerosmith), Joanne Shaw Taylor’s Heavy Soul will feature the tracks: ‘Sweet ‘Lil Lies’, ‘All The Way From America’, ‘Black Magic’, ‘Drowning In A Sea Of Love’, ‘A Good Goodbye’, ‘Heavy Soul’, ‘Wild Love’, ‘Someone Like You’, ‘Devil In Me’ and ‘Change Of Heart’.
‘Change Of Heart‘, the most personal single to Taylor was issued as a single last month. Featuring Taylor’s expressive vocals and masterful guitar playing, the track is further enriched by its joyful and inspirational lyrics, penned with the help of the legendary songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman (Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Trisha Yearwood) that explores the vulnerability and courage involved in opening up to love.
“’Change Of Heart’ is one of my favourite songs on the album,” said Joanne Shaw Taylor. “It’s about meeting someone who makes you want to risk your heart again, despite past hurts. Beth’s lyrical genius really brought the emotion of the song to life.”
You can stream the single here and check out the video here at RAMzine. The song’s warm, heartfelt delivery is just what the doctor ordered as the sun stirs into life, promising summer is on its way.
That single, in turn followed ‘Devil In Me’, that had Taylor delving into the darker realms of soul and blues.
In ‘Devil In Me‘, Taylor confronts the shadows with a narrative that speaks to personal struggles and the darker facets of human relationships. The song’s raw energy and candid lyrics are emblematic of her knack for blending contemporary sounds with traditional blues elements.
There’s a slight turn boogie to the number but overall the lasting impression is this rock ‘n roll, but the wonderful soul background harmonies she’s been adding to her music of late are also ever-present. You can stream the single here and check out the lyric video here at RAMzine.
That too followed swiftly on from her reinterpretation of the Van Morrison classic love song ‘Someone Like You’. Therein the song, Taylor embarks on a journey of discovery, exploring themes of love, longing, and the serendipitous search for a soulmate. Her rendition offering a fresh yet still timeless take on Morrison’s much covered original.
What Taylor’s rendition does specifically is stamp the blues into its beat from the start, it foretells a different spin on the song before she begins to sing – Whereas male voices like Morrison or Rod Stewart offer abandonment of ego in being besotted, Taylor’s turns the lyrics on their head, the implication being that she has a determined resolve to make a relationship work, it only veering towards the person she’s singing to as the music and her voice take on a more soul-imbued expression.
“Kevin Shirley chose this song for us,” Taylor revealed, about her producer’s suggestion. “It speaks to the universal quest for love and the profound joy in finding someone who truly complements your spirit. With this reinterpretation, I wanted to honour the essence of Van Morrison’s original while infusing it with my own blues inflected style. It’s about the journey, the longing, and ultimately, the discovery of love that feels predestined.”
‘Someone Like You’ is still available here and you can check out the video here at RAMzine. These songs are taken from Taylor’s latest studio album, Heavy Soul, that is set for release through Journeyman Records on 7th June.
Heavy Soul can be ordered via this link, and the title track was also released as a single a while back and can still be streamed here, while you can check out the single here at RAMzine.
Deceivingly the video begins with Taylor sitting by a fireplace playing an acoustic guitar, but the first thing your ears notice is a sparkling tumble of notes released from an electric guitar, those lead lines proving fervidly creative as she continues the pivotal blueprint established with her Nobody’s Fool album but with added ‘Heavy Soul’.
For more about recent single releases by Joanne Shaw Taylor visit RAMzine here.
