Joanne Shaw Taylor – Heavy Soul
Journeyman Records – 2024
10 tracks; 44 minutes
Heavy Soul (2024), Joanne Shaw Taylor’s 12th LP, offers slow-burning blues tunes, up-tempo rockers, romantic ballads, and pop-tinged blues. This release sees Taylor’s return to rootsier music after her most recent album, Nobody’s Fool (2022), which she described as a pop soul album.
Taylor proves herself as a talented songwriter- writing six of the 10 tracks on the album- as well as a powerful singer and able guitarist.
On one of the best songs on the release, “Black Magic”, tasty opening blues guitar notes lead into a fiery dance groove, with solid guitar by Rob McNelly and drums by Anton Fig. Taylor’s voice explodes out smoky and strong very much like Jessie Mae Hemphill. Taylor sings “I swear that boy’s black magic”, echoed with heavenly backing vocals from Kim Fleming, Devonne Fowlkes, Jade MacRae, and Danielle DeAndrea. Jimmy Wallace delivers an impressive piano solo, creating an irresistible tune.
“Someone Like You” stands as one of the softest tracks on the record, a smooth outpouring of the heart. After a dreamy, ambient intro, Taylor’s voice hits perfectly – longing, tender, burning– as she sings “I’ve been searchin’ a long time for someone exactly like you.” The gushy, romantic ballad, written by Van Morrison, arrests attention, bringing the listener to contemplate romance, while Wallace delivers a tasteful solo on keys.
Funky guitar opens “Drowning in a Sea of Love”, once again greeted by Taylor’s smoky, bluesy voice. The song, with clear pop influences, tells the story of someone hurt by love gone wrong too many times. Taylor’s stirring, pleading voice is the cry of someone in the throes of love again; of the spark of hope of a new relationship. Consistent, catchy percussion drives the song.
In “A Good Goodbye”, Taylor employs a honey-laden, tender voice that vaguely resembles Macy Gray, in a soulful, balanced and tranquil track. Backup vocals again prove complimentary in the smooth, well produced song about realizing something in the relationship “went wrong”. The song carries a laid-back sorrow, a sort of quiet power.
Fig displays heavy, fast percussion to start off “Heavy Soul”, followed by ripping guitar riffs from McNelly and Taylor. Nowhere else on the album is the inspiration from Stevie Ray Vaughan so clear, as on this track, with gnarly, muscle clad solos. Taylor said she knew she wanted to become a professional blues guitarist when she saw Vaughan play guitar in a video at age 13.
The guitar in the center of “Heavy Soul”, is simply magnificent as Taylor belts out “You don’t know what it is to have a heavy soul” in an original song. The track is electric, dynamic, and ambitious.
A spicy, high flying intro begins “Devil in Me’, while Taylor sings “You hate the world. You wanna watch it burn. You put the devil in me”, accompanied by rocking background vocals – energetic but soft. With quick progression guitar chords, incessant waves of blues rock come forth, interspersed with guitar solos demonstrating dexterity and chops.
Taylor is a much better blues and roots musician than a pop artist in my book. As such, the pop-tinged tracks on the album – “Change of Heart”, “All the Way From America”, and “Wild Love” fall well short of her potential. On these tracks Taylor loses some of her soulful voice and becomes more predictable.
With all that said, Heavy Soul marks an impressive release with incredible vocals, effective song-writing, and strong musicianship. It is an eclectic and powerful album clearly stemming from multiple influences in blues, rock, roots, and pop. The strength of the Taylor originals “Heavy Soul” and “Black Magic” alone make this album worth the listen.
