Award-winning, Toronto based singer/songwriter Julian Taylor released his new album Anthology Vol.1 on Friday October 20th. The album features some of his best work throughout the years of his career including songs from Julian Taylor Band and his previous band Staggered Crossing! Somewhat of a ‘best of’ album – for people like me, this has been a great way to discover Julian Taylor and I will definitely be following his career from now on!

Amongst the tracks of his years, Taylor has also included three previously unreleased tracks. Although cited as new songs, the tracks themselves were actually written years ago!

An album full of delightfully exceptional songs, all our outstanding in their own right but we have picked out our instant favourites.

Kicking off with Long Time Ago, one of the three new songs amongst a mixture of tracks from previous albums, this song is an instant favourite and made me quite eager to hear the rest of the album! The song felt rather nostalgic and transported me back into the 90’s and early 2000’s, in fact, all three new songs did in a way.

Of the first track Long Time Ago, Julian says it is.. “a song that I wrote years ago with my friend Robert Priest. It conveys themes of lasting impact, continuity, and the influence of past actions. Whether those actions were positive or negative, they all have a lasting effect. Sometimes our choices can be deemed right or wrong, but their effects continue to affect the individual. ‘Long Time Ago’ speaks to the idea that these effects remain, even if they might not always be immediately apparent.”

These new songs have elements (in my opinion) of artists such as Crowded House (more late 80’s I know) , Travelling Wilburys, R.E.M, Paul Westerberg, Live and more! Given the fact that Taylor has said some of these songs were written years ago, it could well be that they were written around those era’s.

City Song, gave us some more dark vibes and definitely pulled in those alternative rock/post-grunge 90’s sounds. It’s such a strong song and very impactful! The simplicity in the melodies use of instruments makes the song that more powerful! This song was written when he was with his first band!

Georgia Moon delivers a more country/folk style in its melody! Another song written when he was with his first band, Julian says; “This is one of the first songs that I wrote when I was still in high school and my band was starting to do some shows in and around the city. I remember really focusing on writing this song from a third person point of view and trying to convey a tale that took place in a sort of Wild West, modern romantic era. Even though the song is very dark, it doesn’t come off that way. It tells the tale of a bandit and someone chasing him all over the Eastern Seaboard. I used to play this song frequently at open stages, and it went over really well. It was never officially recorded before this, and, as I reflect on much of my work, it felt like the right time to go back into the studio and finally nail it down.”

Georgia Moon is a great example that Taylor has been making country/folk music since the beginning!

Seeds has an addictive, repetitive beat and riff with an inviting mid-tempo melody that when blended with Taylor’s mellifluous vocals makes it thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. The way he sings this song is like it’s a melody in itself, each note flows beautifully which makes you take notice of every note and truly hear it.

A folklore-esque tune! Ballad of a Young Troubadour is definitely a song to get completely lost within its beauty! Harmonious and haunting in places, the ballad is really quite serene and slightly hypnotic to listen to.

Just a Little Bit from his Julian Taylor Band days is a fun up-beat song that falls into an alternative-rock, funk-rock category.

Bobbi Champagne, another Julian Band Taylor band track is bluesy-rock/Jazz at its best. With a soulful edge, it also hints a bit of funk.

Keeping the Jazz/Funk/Rock stylings alive with a big band theme and classic soul, Zero to Eleven must be amazing in a live setting! It’s infectious and makes you want to get up and move!

Carry Me Home is a sweet, folk-country sounding soft rock, smooth jazz tune with a rhythmic beat that has a soulful riff throughout.

The 90’s kid in me adores the Staggered Crossing tracks. A collection of rock tunes that you would blast loudly from your boom box and a band you would follow on tour at some of the best rock dive clubs going, Perfect Prize, Business as Usual and Time’s Made Up My Mind are a great close to what is a remarkably enjoyable and highly compelling album which is full of timeless tunes!

This album will now sit alongside our favourite timeless classic albums that we will undoubtedly play for years to come!

Taylor sings with purpose. Each song is well written – telling a story, delivering words of wisdom, providing relatability and being honest and inspirational. Taylor stays true to himself in his artistry throughout his body of work. Despite the years of having a wide range of genres in the music, there is a distinctive Julian Taylor stamp in each and every song!

I would love to hear Taylor live at the likes of Cheltenham Jazz Festival with a big band and at places like The Jazz Café.

Stream/buy Anthology Vol.1 album here