About a year ago almost to the day we reviewed Hiss Golden Messenger’s Haw…’a hybrid of country-soul and modern folk with whispers of something older, more enduring and traditionally Southern’ (read the review). M.C. Taylor is back with his fifth full-length album Lateness of Dancers joined again by Scott Hirsch along with Phil and Brad Cook of Megafaun and the guitarist William Tyler who has been involved in a number of other interesting projects of late including Wooden Wand’s Farmer’s Corner which Helen recently revewied (read it here).
Like Haw this is a Southern influenced album taking its name from a Eudora Welty story, a well known American author of short stories and novels about the American South. There are other southern literary hints including Flannery O’Connor who is known for her Southern Gothic style of writing as well as Faulkner and Barry Hannah and Larry Brown. As if to add to the literary journey the album was recorded in a tin-roofed barn outside of Hillsborough, North Carolina.
If that all sounds deep we’re promised that this release is a counter to the dark of ‘Haw’ and that it’s about ‘self-discovery and self-knowledge, and how impossible it is to outsmart yourself.’
Listen to Saturday Song below on which he sings “When Saturday comes I’m going to heal myself / When Saturday comes with the lamb and the four swords / I might get a little crazy / Here comes Sunday waiting for me.”
The album is due for release on September 9, 2014 prior to which there will be a number of European tour dates including the full band line-up at Bush Hall on 19 July.
Album Trailer
European Tour Dates
July
15 – Valkhof Festival, Nijmegen (NL) *FREE ENTRY*
16 – Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
18 – atitude Festival, Henham Park, Southwold (UK)
19 – Bush Hall, London (UK)
20 – Somersault Festival, Castle Hill, North Devon (UK)