Adam Taylor is set to release his upcoming record, No Poet, on April 18. When I first heard Taylor's debut, Play The Piano Drunk, I thought if this i
s what he's capable of now, what's he going to give us once he has some age and seasoning under his belt? Well, No Poet answers that question.
The seven song record was produced by his older brother Chad Taylor and shows a maturity that comes with making that transition from boy to man and living life in general. The down to Earth, yet quirky Taylor writes sharp-witted songs with a bit of cheek. At times he's a bit dark while at other times he displays pure, happy, upbeat pop.
Having seen Taylor perform several times, I know most of the songs in their acoustic incarnations. In a true testament to his talent as a performer and songwriter, the songs work just as beautifully with a full band as they do in acoustic duet form. Taylor's band Kate Young (vocals/percussion), John Fritchey (guitar), Mike Giblin (bass/vocals) and Jason Hoffheins (drums) provide a tight musical foundation for him to shine.
A wide gambit of sounds are covered on No Poet be it the jazzy vibe of "The Story Of The Sea-Green Sky Part Two" or the rockabilly of "Spaghetti Western," a classic storytelling song, or the skiffle of "Lucy." They all fit and flow together well proving well crafted pop music doesn't come from a cookie cutter, auto-tuned assembly line. The record kicks off with th
e lust tinged "Oliver" a favorite of mine for a while now. For some bizarre reason, I think of "White Wedding" when I hear this song. Huh? We'll chalk that up as one of my questionable comparisons. Giblin's bass lines are all kinds of funky on this one as well as on the track "Jazzonia (Silver Tree) which is a killer dance tune. If you can't shake your ass to that song, you might have some issues you need to deal with. "Yes / No" harkens back to the days of beach/surf music. The kind of song you turn on and drive around with the top down on your convertible.
The record closes with what has become my favorite track, "New York." It's a sexy and bluesy moving onto the next stage of life song. This song more than any other track on the record, in my opinion, shows his transition from teenager to man.
No Poet is a terrific piece of work. Its only flaw is that it ends too quickly. Seven songs aren't enough!
For your listening pleasure, scroll to the bottom of the post and grab "Jazzonia (Silver Tree)" in the MP3 Grab.
s what he's capable of now, what's he going to give us once he has some age and seasoning under his belt? Well, No Poet answers that question.The seven song record was produced by his older brother Chad Taylor and shows a maturity that comes with making that transition from boy to man and living life in general. The down to Earth, yet quirky Taylor writes sharp-witted songs with a bit of cheek. At times he's a bit dark while at other times he displays pure, happy, upbeat pop.
Having seen Taylor perform several times, I know most of the songs in their acoustic incarnations. In a true testament to his talent as a performer and songwriter, the songs work just as beautifully with a full band as they do in acoustic duet form. Taylor's band Kate Young (vocals/percussion), John Fritchey (guitar), Mike Giblin (bass/vocals) and Jason Hoffheins (drums) provide a tight musical foundation for him to shine.
A wide gambit of sounds are covered on No Poet be it the jazzy vibe of "The Story Of The Sea-Green Sky Part Two" or the rockabilly of "Spaghetti Western," a classic storytelling song, or the skiffle of "Lucy." They all fit and flow together well proving well crafted pop music doesn't come from a cookie cutter, auto-tuned assembly line. The record kicks off with th
e lust tinged "Oliver" a favorite of mine for a while now. For some bizarre reason, I think of "White Wedding" when I hear this song. Huh? We'll chalk that up as one of my questionable comparisons. Giblin's bass lines are all kinds of funky on this one as well as on the track "Jazzonia (Silver Tree) which is a killer dance tune. If you can't shake your ass to that song, you might have some issues you need to deal with. "Yes / No" harkens back to the days of beach/surf music. The kind of song you turn on and drive around with the top down on your convertible.The record closes with what has become my favorite track, "New York." It's a sexy and bluesy moving onto the next stage of life song. This song more than any other track on the record, in my opinion, shows his transition from teenager to man.
No Poet is a terrific piece of work. Its only flaw is that it ends too quickly. Seven songs aren't enough!
For your listening pleasure, scroll to the bottom of the post and grab "Jazzonia (Silver Tree)" in the MP3 Grab.
Adam Taylor: March 31, 2011 @ The Living Room, New York, NY
Adam Taylor and his partner-in-crime Kate Young came back to the cozy LES venue The Living Room. On the heels of a successful Kickstarter campaign and weeks before the April 18 release of his new record No Poet, Taylor and Young took the stage. Performing six songs from the upcoming album in their twelve
song set the pair showed once again why their fans appreciate and love them so much.
They kicked off the set with Jazzonia (Silver Tree) which until I saw the track list for No Poet, I thought the wording was Silver Dream! For two years I've been trying to figure out what the heck a silver dream was. I'm not only quirky, I'm goofy too! Anyway, this is the first time they've done "Daisy" at a show I attended so that was a pleasant treat. Taylor did a Radiohead song solo. I'm not a Radiohead fan so don't ask me which one but I'm 100% positive Taylor's version was better. I'll probably get stoned by disgruntled Radiohead fans over that one. Live, Taylor dedicates "Yes / No" to all the psychotic women. I'm tearing up; finally someone has written a song about me! I'm just kidding ... maybe.
I always smile at their shows. They make me feel good. What more can you ask for? They closed with the delightful "Cat's Cradle." I would have loved to have seen this on the new record but alas, it wasn't. Oh, and the next time you swing through town, can we add "Coffee" back into the set list for the night? I miss that song.
I've told you before and I'll tell you again, you really should see Taylor live. Full of laid back charm and dripping with an abundance of talent, he'll entice you to his corner and have you cheering him on loudly and proudly.
Check out a couple of clips from the show below and a clip of "Daisy" HERE ... yeah, it's out of focus but sound is good.
song set the pair showed once again why their fans appreciate and love them so much.They kicked off the set with Jazzonia (Silver Tree) which until I saw the track list for No Poet, I thought the wording was Silver Dream! For two years I've been trying to figure out what the heck a silver dream was. I'm not only quirky, I'm goofy too! Anyway, this is the first time they've done "Daisy" at a show I attended so that was a pleasant treat. Taylor did a Radiohead song solo. I'm not a Radiohead fan so don't ask me which one but I'm 100% positive Taylor's version was better. I'll probably get stoned by disgruntled Radiohead fans over that one. Live, Taylor dedicates "Yes / No" to all the psychotic women. I'm tearing up; finally someone has written a song about me! I'm just kidding ... maybe.
I always smile at their shows. They make me feel good. What more can you ask for? They closed with the delightful "Cat's Cradle." I would have loved to have seen this on the new record but alas, it wasn't. Oh, and the next time you swing through town, can we add "Coffee" back into the set list for the night? I miss that song.
I've told you before and I'll tell you again, you really should see Taylor live. Full of laid back charm and dripping with an abundance of talent, he'll entice you to his corner and have you cheering him on loudly and proudly.
Check out a couple of clips from the show below and a clip of "Daisy" HERE ... yeah, it's out of focus but sound is good.
More Photos HERE
Setlist
- Jazzonia (Silver Tree)
- 12:51
- Daisy
- Spaghetti Western
- Yes / No
- No Diggity / Come Together
- Story Of The Sea-Green Sky Part Two
- Whiskey
- (Radiohead Song)
- New York
- Lucy
- Cat's Cradle
MP3 Grab: "Jazzonia (Silver Tree)" (right click, save)
