Bright and breezy, free and easy is the way I would describe the new album by Taylor Young Band. Imagine the vocals of Coldplay’s Chris Martin set against a band sounding a little Del Amitri, a little REM and producing a sound reminiscent of that annoying theme tune to Friends by The Rembrandts.
This is pop music played on real instruments without the temptation to use snazzy tricks or production techniques and it comes as something of a change to have something so unashamedly positive. The guitar is twinkly, the bass is perfectly pitched and the whole package is shiny and… nice.
I would have liked a bit more bitterness to the recipe, a little darkness to counterbalance the light and a change in feel to the songs wouldn’t have gone amiss but there is no denying that this band know how to balance pop with country without falling into the teenage angst of another famous Taylor or Kacey Musgraves.
Sure, there are the usual break-up songs, but there is also that positive atmosphere of there being another day soon after where things may not be as bad.
If country/pop is your thing but you’re not a fan of having it dished up by pretty women and huge guitars, this might be well worth a listen.
