Julian Taylor
Beyond The Reservoir
Independent
Following the release of his critically acclaimed 2020 album, The Ridge, Torontoโs Julian Taylor has returned with his latest record, Beyond The Reservoir. Produced alongside his long-time collaborator, Saam Hashemi (Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, The Kooks) and recorded at Hashemiโs place, Canterbury Music Company, and Blue Rodeoโs The Woodshed, Taylor has delivered, yet again, a vulnerable and intimate collection of his creative musings that continue to demonstrate his authenticity and creativity as an artist.
Remaining within the style of The Ridge, Taylor opens Beyond The Reservoir with the warm strumming of an acoustic guitar โ accented by a gentle lap steel โ on โMoonlightโ. Taylorโs vocals, soft, yet with the slightest edge to it, engage the listener with his narrative and lush harmonies as the song grows, slowly and organically, across itโs near seven-min run.ย It is a challenge to make a lengthy song justify such a run time, however, each second of โMoonlightโ feels necessary. That is the brilliance at the core of Beyond The Reservoir; Taylorโs ability to take simple concepts and nurture them with such conviction demonstrates a masterful grasp on the art of songwriting.
Beyond The Reservoir is a folk and roots rock treasure trove of nine tracks โ along with acoustic blues of the bonus track, โ100 Proofโ โ full of stunning musical highlights. From the stark and gripping tale of โMurder 13โ to the soulful musings of โOpening The Skyโ, Taylorโs delivery is remarkable. Most notable on the record is โStolen Landsโ, the modern, decolonized take on Woodie Guthrieโs โThis Land Is Your Landโ. The dark tone of the track, led by Taylorโs gravelly vocals and accented by a flurry of strings and percussion, is a harrowing look at intergenerational trauma that makes for a jaw dropping performance.
With the delivery of Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, Beyond The Reservoir raises the benchmark and expectations once again for Taylor. His latest record manages to exceed the standards set on The Ridge while further establishing himself among Canadaโs most premier songwriters. Ultimately, Taylor remains unparalleled.
Artistย Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JULIAN TAYLOR – BEYOND THE RESERVOIR
Gerrod Harris