Sean Taylor – The Path Into Blue
Self Released – 12 April 2019
A true story witnessed at the Cambridge Folk Festival a few years ago. Two families, previously unknown to each other, have their deck chairs pitched up in the open arena enjoying the day’s music on the main stage. They’ve sang along harmoniously, exchanged light chit chat and pleasantries. The elder lady from one group leans over to the kindly looking older man of the other group and, purely as a friendly gesture, says “would you like a read of my newspaper?”. Looking down at a copy of the Daily Mail being offered he replies, “I wouldn’t wipe my arse with it”. The mutual pleasantries are immediately terminated.
It’s easy to forget when observing a music audience that these gatherings will have many shades of varying and deeply opposed political opinion buried within. If they feel like they are on the receiving end of topical propaganda from their entertainers, then there’s a good chance at least half the paying customers will feel aggrieved. Album sales would be impacted too. There’s footage from Neil Young’s highly polemic 2006 ‘Living With War’ concerts where large sections of the crowd leave in anger. It’s safe to assume that Neil could afford to take those risks with negligible impact on his fortune, but in the 21st century, most other artists further down the income ladder have had to be more careful. This is probably the reason why real, incisive topical and political song writing has become a rarity, mostly to be found buried deep under the radar. Sadly, it’s a huge opportunity missed for today’s songwriters as we live through times when subject matter is in abundance. Thankfully, courageously even, Sean Taylor has stepped up to the challenge and nailed it.
The title of the album alone points to a lament at a general move towards the far right. The cover art depicts a collage of Grenfell Tower, Brexit, EDL protestors, Donald Trump, the Houses of Parliament and refugees leaving Hungary. As a literal illustration of what lies within it is wholly accurate. They’re grim, depressing images and suggest a collection that could be heavy going. Far from it though; this is a suite of songs that are as beautiful and moving in their execution as they could possibly be. And the path into blue does not specifically refer to a Tory blue, more the kind of blue that Miles and Joni were grasping for. This is a record that has lived through the blue that is pain, loss, hurt, frustrations and disappointment and is here to tell us it’s perfectly natural to feel that way too. And it is OK to still believe in love.
For me, these are not political songs at all. Among the messages that come through in these incredible words are refugees shouldn’t be thought of as different or inferior, all human beings are equal. The fate of those who lost their lives at Grenfell is utterly horrific and abhorrent and should not have happened in any 21st-century civilised society. The consumerist pressure that drives Christmas celebrations in modern western society can lead to tragedy for the most poverty-stricken amongst us. Homelessness is only a few wrong turns away for anyone and the idea that there’s a state safety net to catch the most unfortunate among us is largely a fallacy. I would argue that these are not political motions, they’re simple humanitarian reactions. Anyone who doesn’t feel that way may as well just find their kicks in the mainstream, that’s about as good as they deserve. Which leads me onto another matter arising on this turbulent journey.
Back in the sixties, Paul Simon put together a little throwaway folk-rocker in which his head spun at the music scene around him. He’d been Rolling Stoned and Beatled until he was blind apparently. Well Paul, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone hey? These days Sean Taylor is in a similar tailspin at the cultural blandscape that is the mainstream, but his complaints seem a whole lot more worrying to me. Karaoke tribute acts, autotune, hashtag grief, celebrity tattoos, Katy Perry sings the blues and Harry Styles is the new Dylan. Now that’s a real-life nightmare to get worked up about. And at least fifty years ago there was a place at the mainstream table for everyone. Protest songs could be hits alongside the novelty fluff. That’s so much harder now that everything has become so fragmented. Sean Taylor’s work deserves a place in the popular culture. It’s relevant, resonant and makes you feel both empathy and sympathy for real-life events as they are unfolding around us. It doesn’t preach, doesn’t reprimand too heavily (although pointing a finger at those responsible for Grenfell with “is the money that you make worth the lives that you take?” is a not unreasonable line of questioning) but it does reflect with compassion and wit. It is a record that deserves wide exposure and I may have spotted a way to facilitate that on track number five.
‘Little Donny’ is a gently swinging, Jazzy portrait of a petulant adult child throwing temper tantrums when he doesn’t get his own way. The misogynistic boasts of Donald Trump are set aside his racist, xenophobic, fake news promoting antics before the song climaxes with the man himself and his pussy grabbing quote on a fading loop. It’s almost funny as a put-down and as we all know Trump’s biggest weakness is his ego, it might just enrage the man himself should he ever get to hear it. He’d almost certainly have to compose a 140-character retort describing Taylor as a ‘loser’. Could just be the kind of publicity this record needs? By any means necessary in my view, this is a piece of work that should be heard in 2019. Could someone please pass a copy onto the President?
I’ve been listening to this record repeatedly for a few days now. It doesn’t suffer from repetition. Musically Sean Taylor is a versatile animal and it gives the whole album huge changes in tone and tempo. To create music as strong as the words it meshes with was never going to be a light task, but he does it all the same. If the words to ‘Grenfell’ weren’t enough then Sean’s electric guitar solo will simply floor you. Opening track ‘This Is England’ would have been described as a ‘talking blues’ in the past but let’s be upfront about it; this is a rap performed over a funky guitars, bass, organ and drums riff. There are moments when his delicious caressing of the lyrics reminds me of Mike Scott at his most incisive; I can also hear the soulfulness of Ray LaMontagne at times too. Sean Taylor has recorded an album on a par with the strongest work by either of those high-ranking acts with ‘The Path Into Blue’. He has also written one of the premier topical song albums of our time. All the news that is fit to sing, indeed!
Pre-Order via Propermusic: https://www.propermusic.com/product-details/Sean-Taylor-The-Path-Into-Blue-263719
Live Dates
- March 15th (France) PAMIERS @ Les Nuits Des Blues Tickets
- March 27th (Germany) KOLN @ Circulo Machado Tickets
- March 28th (Germany) WERMELSKIRCHEN @ Kultin Tickets
- March 29th (Germany) DRESDEN @ Blue Note Tickets
- March 30th (Germany) HESSEN @ Sofa Concerts fur Jederman Tickets
- April 2nd (UK) COULSDON @ Tuesday Night Music Club Tickets
- April 6th (UK) BARRY (Wales) @ Roots N’ All Tickets
- April 7th (UK) BIRMINGHAM @ Kitchen Garden Cafe Tickets
- April 14th (UK) BOWNES BAY @ Bowness Bay Blues Festival Tickets
- April – 17th-28th (Italy) – Italian tour
- April 17th (Italy) PADOVA @ Sherwood Open Live Tickets
- April 18th (Italy) TORINO @ L’Arteficio Tickets
- April 21st (Italy) MONTECAROTTO @ Osteria Sotto Le Mura Tickets
- April 24th (Italy) SUCCIVO @ Sfoglia Atella Lab Tickets
- April 25th (Italy) CHIETI @ Primo Tickets
- April 26th (Italy) BARI @ Joys Pub Tickets
- April 28th (Italy) BATTIPAGLIA @ Monkey Tickets
- May 2nd (UK) LONDON @ Green Note Tickets
- May 3rd (UK) ULVERSTON @ Ulverston Sports Club Tickets
- May 25th (UK) KENT @ Small World Festival Tickets
- June 1st (France) TBC festival
- July 14th (Germany) GARBSEN @ Blues Matinee Tickets (band gig)
- September 6th (UK) BATTLE @ Big Green Cardigan Tickets (band gig)
https://www.seantaylorsongs.com/
Photo Credit: Monique Nuijten