The Debut Album

"Taylor is truly one of Canada's most original and outstanding artists [that] I have worked with... His sense of melody, lyrics and song structure, along with an amazing skill as a performer will soon be revealed to the general public upon the release of his first album..."

- Eddie Kramer, Grammy-Winning Producer & Engineer
(Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, KISS, David Bowie & many more)

"Taylor has struck gold somewhere in the funky Neil Young/Randy Newman mountains. While the collection has a foothold in the golden era of songwriting, the subject matter and the way it’s assiduously handled anchor it firmly in the now. A standout debut from a talent that has arrived."

- Lenny Stoute, Cashbox Canada

Taylor's self-titled studio album is a stunning surprise. Hints of classic talents such as Paul Simon, Neil Young & Michael Jackson are tied together with blistering guitar, detailed arrangements and soaring harmony stacks. In a music world fraught with imitators, there is something special here - a wounded tenderness and a grandness of vision that makes him unmistakable.

Despite his distinct voice, style & tremendous range, perhaps his greatest asset is his songwriting. There is a sense that every chord, every word, every melody was slaved over in the pursuit of writing songs with a timeless quality. It's no accident that his writing talents attracted two legendary producers to the project - Eddie Kramer (famous for contributions to Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, KISS, Led Zeppelin & many more), and Fred Mollin (Producer for Jimmy Webb, America, Rumer, etc).

One can't help but imagine, if this were '73, Taylor would be signed to a 4-record contract with Warner, and be chatting with Randy Newman round the water cooler. Today, we are left with a record with one foot in flirting with the past, while the other is placed firmly in modern millennial strife.

In fact, dichotomy seems to be at the core of Taylor's music. 'If I Was A Woman' recounts his challenges with gender identity as a 'tween' with self-effacing humor ('If I was a woman, maybe my voice would make sense') then pivots into heartbreaking & succinct observation: 'And the more he saw his kind, the more he thought they sucked. The wars they caused, the women they'd struck.'. The album continually veers between the harrowing & humorous - for Taylor, Fall 'is coming down like an anvil on my head' , while improvised exchanges ('You have a boyfriend do ya? Of course ya do!') trickle through the ferociously cartoon-ish 'Ain't Got No Cure For Love'.

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Meanwhile, 'Did Ya Know??' cleverly masks remorse behind Dad jokes ('Carpal tunnel is the only fish that swims through your wrist'), while during the sophisticated Pet Sounds inspired power pop of 'Heaven In Your Eyes', Taylor worries about not having anything 'clever to say'. 'The Same Damn Story', while infectiously upbeat & hook-laden, is a desperate plea against his own battles with depression ('Now I cry for a while, just to live for a second/Now I beat myself up and tear out all my affection').

A record of remarkable consistency & flow, highlights include the aching & grand final minutes of 'Fall', the Thriller-esque 'I Won't Put Up With It', the devastating 'Endless Heaven' ('Come down my dear, for I'm barely here') and 'Feelin Small', a Bosa Nova space epic (yes, you read that right), which takes us from micro to macro and back with harmonic twists seldom heard since Steely Dan. Taylor's dichotomies keep the listener guessing, and the smart heart full. 

The album is available on all major digital platforms, and also include 'audio credits tracks' that provide acknowledgement, while spreading awareness of the reluctant relationship artists have with stingy streaming platforms. These audio credits tracks are performed by friends & national treasures, including Mary Margaret O'Hara, Sara Thawer, and Michael Philip Wojewoda.

May this record be the first of many for one of Canada's brightest emerging artists.