| Folk-Blues |
This is probably not Sean Taylor’s happiest album, but certainly one of the most poetic. In this work, the great English artist addresses the troubles of a world where hope and despair intertwine in a universe where dictators and aspiring dictators seem eager to wage war, and as always, it’s the innocent populations who are the targets. Sean Taylor feels the need to tell us more about what led to the birth of this new album: “Over the years, I have lived through moments that changed my life. I spent time in one of Berlin’s trendy clubs, a place called Temporal Damnation in 2024, and ‘The End’ speaks of the darkness of the world, but that’s not how we live life. Life doesn’t come with a guarantee. No matter what we must keep doing, we should always ask for more and live to explore and challenge our imperfections.”
Hence the title “Berlin” on the first track of this album. But one should never forget that Sean Taylor is an excellent musician, perfectly capable of creating music and worlds that align with his voice, becoming at times a storyteller, actor, or singer depending on the poetic texts. Over the last two decades, the London-based producer Sean Taylor has paved his way with legendary concerts. He was nominated for the Brits UK Blues Awards’ “Acoustic Act of the Year” and consistently ranks in the international blues best-sellers of 2023. His candid voice and honest lyrics give him undeniable credibility as a troubadour. Sean Taylor says: “We are surrounded by war and division. Fear and terror are part of our daily lives, but at the same time, we also have friendship, resistance, the reality of our collective experience, and the power of our humanity.” This duality triumphs in “Benedictions,” an emotional song about victory.
These concerns make it a particularly European album, as television channels and the media have long been discussing the war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East, creating an especially distressing climate for those living there. This is where Sean Taylor’s genius shines—being able to speak about this singular feeling without falling into misery, while sprinkling here and there those few notes of hope that are the very foundation of our humanity. “Days” is a track about the struggle of making it as a self-taught artist and musician. The humiliation of being treated like dirt has pushed many vulnerable people down. This song is dedicated to those damaged and broken by a flawed system. We are all Danny Blake, as portrayed by Ken Loach in his 1964 film in Mississippi. The song was inspired by the film “Two Trains Running,” which compares civil rights to the shootings in Ferguson and Stone House.
This is what we love about this artist: his ability to preserve his British identity, allow himself to be influenced by different cultures, as heard in his various albums, but also reflect on his place and our place in the world while crafting his poetry, always somewhat like a confidant, as if talking with a good friend over more or less serious topics at a pub table. All these reasons, combined with his spotless career and this beautiful album that shines like another star on his garment of light, lead us to include this album in our “Indispensable Albums” series.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, September 23rd 2024
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