Post Description

Blues, rock. 

Joanne Shaw Taylor’s 10th studio album Black and Gold, releases on the 6th of June, and blues rock fans are in for a real treat this summer. The album features an excellent lineup of backing musicians: Anton Fig on drums, Alison Prestwood on bass, Jimmy Wallace on keys, Doug Lancio and Audley Freed on guitar, Joe Bonamassa guests on “All the Things I Said” and “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?”, and Savannah Hadigan and Sheridan Gates on backup vocals. It’s a stellar lineup that puts together a very respectable album, continuing the excellent track record of releases for our genre in the first half of 2025.

Black and Gold features 11 tracks that can best be described as eclectic, in a great way. The album features a heavy focus on blending the trappings of blues rock with indie, 80s pop, and Americana. The album’s first third is the least powerful, with “Hold of My Heart,” “All The Things I Said,” and the title track “Black & Gold” being interesting tracks with country, pop, and soul influences (in that order) but they don’t quite reach the heights of the later parts of the record. “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now” stands out in particular, almost sounding like a Kate Bush track with the synths. 

The last half of the album is an absolute knockout, tracks five through 11 are all stellar. It’s no coincidence that most of the rock-heavy side of the album is the side with the most impact and dynamic themes. The other genre influences make the record interesting and innovative, but Taylor is really at her best here when she’s rocking out on tracks like “Hell of a Good Time” and “Look What I’ve Become.” While the title track is good and the recent single “Grayer Shade Of Blue” is an interesting pop-infused tune, the real stars of the album are the two closing numbers, “What Are You Gonna Do Now” and “Love Lives Here.” 

“What Are You Gonna Do Now” is the the most fun and moving track on the record for my money, while the closer “Love Lives Here” is the best example on the record of blending different genres with blues rock, using lots of keys work and sound landscapes reminiscent of gospel including an uplifting call and response in the chorus.

Black and Gold might take a couple tracks to really get into its groove, but once it gets going, it’s really firing on all cylinders, showcasing some of the best of Taylor’s playing, writing, and style. Listening to Black and Gold, it’s easy to see why she’s among the leading musicians in the genre today. This is a very strong entry in Taylor’s discography, and all of her best qualities as a musician are on display here, perfectly accompanied by a fantastic band and guests.

Tracks:
01. Hold Of My Heart
02. All The Things I Said
03. Black & Gold
04. Who’s Gonna Love Me Now_
05. I Gotta Stop Letting You Let Me Down
06. Summer Love
07. Grayer Shade Of Blue
08. Hell Of A Good Time
09. Look What I’ve Become
10. What Are You Gonna Do Now_
11. Love Lives Here

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc5WYB5-mF0