Second album from amazing solo artist.
After delighting ears aplenty as part of the duo Azure Ray, Maria Taylor released her debut solo effort '11:11' in 2005, an album I listen to with alarming regularity. So when word of 'Lynn Teeter Flower' and better yet a copy of it arrived on my threshold I was brimming with anticipation.
Picking up where we left off, 'Lynn Teeter Flower' is a natural progression from its predecessor. Opening with the appropriately titled 'A Good Start', a soft introduction to Maria's gorgeous voice backed with subtle electronics, the album's opener features a strong and memorable melody. Next up is 'A Clean Getaway', with, (no pun intended) a gear change from the previous track. 'A Clean Getaway' is an exquisitely fragile song with Maria's voice soaring effortlessly over the beautiful lyrics, all the more effective for being musically sparse. 'Smile and Wave', as you would expect from the title is a more upbeat affair, with a catchy tune to its name.
'Replay' is another easily catchy song propelled by Beatles-esque piano. Already each song has obvious individualism, and yet the songs combine and connect easily, meaning they avoid a disjointed album. 'Small Part of Me' is another highlight in an album overflowing with them. It's largely due to Maria's exquisite voice that the song is so stirring, as it overflows with longing. Again the pace changes with ease for 'Irish Goodbye', a fast paced song with electronics and samples entwined within it.
As if this album needs yet more to recommend it, there are fellow Saddle Creek mates such as Andy Lemaster involved, as well as a low-key appearance from Maria's partner in crime Conor Oberst, who she co-wrote 'The Ballad of Sean Folley' with.
This album is wonderful and will no doubt please fans immensely, and hopefully receive much more attention that the criminally overlooked '11:11'. Maria Taylor is a star shining far too brightly to ignore.