Rob Taylor Project

A Special Occasion (Independent)

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Edmonton might be going through some tough economic times but at the same time it’s producing a wealth of musical talent. Rob Taylor is the latest of a long line of people to put his songs on a recording, and he shows a lot of depth and emotion. Taylor eschews the usual verse-chorus-bridge, etc. for a more abstract structure, powered by a great sense of dynamics and some wonderful hooks in this pop-folk disc. He sings of love and loss, of the heartbreak of a partner “abandoning ship. I was left in her wake”. Or the female Newfoundlander going up to Fort McMurray (before the fire, obviously) to find a rich man and have a “grand old tyme on the Prairie”. He even finds something to rhyme with Halliburton. He also has a great sense of melody, sophisticated chord structures, and a voice that is slightly reminiscent of Cat Stevens. I wish it had more than eight songs but there’s plenty to listen to on this disc. – By Mike Sadava