TAYLR - “The Blue”

Photo by Jessica Sanchez

Self-taught, Calgary-based singer-songwriter TAYLR arrives on our blog with their brand new single, “The Blue,” a track that delves deeply into the demise of a relationship.

TAYLR does not waste anyone’s time here, immediately embarking on a wonderful and melodic recount of all the thoughts that transpire when love is on the brink of falling apart. And it never ceases to amaze us, the idea that the darkest of subject matter often yields the most amazing performance– that is exactly what you will find upon pressing play.

For the first part of “The Blue,” TAYLR’s vocal is accompanied only by some thoughtfully played acoustic guitar, completely raw, with nowhere to hide, much like our hearts when they are destined to be torn from our bodies. As the song progresses, the arrangement grows with the addition of some gentle percussion, a bit of piano, and some synthy artifacts that act as a pad.

And although all of these pieces to the song’s instrumental puzzle are fantastic, the star of the show is, of course, TAYLR’s voice. The lyrics are delivered in such a way that your ears are forced to interpret them as the truth and, like many of our favorite folksy numbers, it sounds as though TAYLR is singing them to you from only a few feet away. You will find no gimmicks or fancy digital wizardry within “The Blue,” just immense talent and raw storytelling.

We ended up loving this track so much that we did a bit of diving into TAYLR’s former releases, where we found “Let Me Warm Your Bed,” a delightfully stripped-back track that will immediately win you over with its delicious lap steel (one of our favorite instruments when it comes to this brand of music). Of course, you will also find TAYLR’s vocal, warm and delicate, feeding you lyrics a touch more uplifting than “The Blue.”

And we’ll leave you with one more, in case you find yourselves wondering what TAYLR might sound like live in the studio. It’s entitled “The Trees (live in studio)” and within it, you will find yet another heartfelt performance that, by now, has completely turned you into a TAYLR fan.

-HD