Just how personal the new Taylor McCall record is, is probably best shown by the image on its cover. It is of McCall’s late grandfather and the album (his second) is a kind of homage to him, given he gave the South Carolina native his first musical memories.
“Sinking Sand” is a sort of prologue, ushering in an olde tyme atmosphere. But the first thing you notice amongst the laid-back sound is the wonderful voice that McCall has. He’s only in his mid-twenties, yet sounds way beyond that.
When it comes to the songs themselves, the title track sets its stall out. “Mellow War” is just that, but if it is at war then it’s a war in the mind.
“Heaven Only Knows” continues the theme; and if not exactly content, it sounds accepting of its lot. The solo is haunting, though.
The guitar work throughout is superb, actually. “Tide Of Love” works on its lead, and there’s a proper soulful feel.
This is one of those records that gets better with repeated listens. “Rolling Stoned Again” contains the thought that “if God is my witness I hate him seeing me like this.” It feels like an intrusion into someone’s pain.
That feeling continues in the “Whiskey Costs Less”, which adds an almost macabre piano feel to things. You imagine this was written at 3 am in the morning with who knows what thoughts for company.
Indeed, the instrumentation is perfect. “Star Of The Morning” is typical of the timeless feel and “Angel Falling Down is likewise possessed of a vibe that doesn’t scream 2024.
It feels, for the most part, that “Mellow War” is the soundtrack to a miniseries playing out in McCall’s head. You can imagine “Hard to Love You” for example playing over the credits of the latest HBO blockbuster as the troubled main protagonist drives into the night.
In the context of the slightly mercurial darkness of the rest of it, then “I Want You Still” might ordinarily be seen as some light relief, but dig a little deeper into the multi-layered vocals and you find something close to what Elliott Smith used to do and the regret is sore.
If the record is effectively one man’s search for redemption then it maybe finds it on “Born Again”, there’s a spirituality here for sure: “Heaven is a long ghost town, a refuge from the pain” it reasons. And just in case you thought there’d be light at the end of the tunnel before the end, there isn’t. Indeed “You To Blame” rather more gets to the heart of the matter. Fragile – at least until the lush strings – it is the sound of a man searching for answers – ones that he’ll probably never find.
And it ends with no real conclusion- and if we torture that TV show analogy one more time, then maybe it’s a preparation for series two. The first one, if you give it time and let it grow, has much to offer.
Rating 8.5/10
