Album Notes

Sydney singer-songwriter Karl Taylor is attracting a good deal of attention and industry recognition for his debut album Voodoo Town. Artfully crafted over a 2-year period, the album shines with musical sophistication and classic songs.

Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as Steely Dan, Jeff Beck and Steve Winwood, Voodoo Town’s sound is both distinctly original and brazenly pop – a rock and roll record best played loud. Take Wise Up, a beefy pop anthem that shines with Taylor’s trademark slide guitar and backing vocals from esteemed session singer Chris E Thomas. Short Fat Fanny, a good-time rockabilly romp, combusts with a driving rhythm section and roaring guitars.

Voodoo Town boasts some super-slick guitar playing. A master of his craft, there’s no doubt Taylor knows his way around a fretboard, boasting a technique as natural and distinctive as his own fingerprints. But Voodoo Town is not just a guitar album - you’ll find no Steve Vai-esque indulgence here – just quality pop tunes. As Taylor himself says, “I deliberately underplayed the guitar aspect and instead slanted it more towards harmony and structure. The world doesn't need any more guitar records, but there's always room for more good songs.” Voodoo Town is awash with great melodies and clever guitar, but this is not its centerpiece.

It’s Taylor’s voice that really punctuates the album. Like solo-era Don Henley after a carton of Camel Special Filters, his voice is at once gravelly and velveteen, soaring and felt. While the first half of the album shows he can party (check out Shakin’ Me Up and its catchy call and response vocal structure - “You can rock me so hard/You can rock me so fine”), the second half of the album gives way to Taylor’s introspective side (when Taylor sings “I’ve no wish to tempt fate but heaven can wait” in the song of the same name, we believe him). It’s Taylor’s voice gives the record its direction.

From first listen Voodoo Town shows power, skill and a wide harmonic landscape. With help from a stellar cast of friends including Australian drumming legend Mark Kennedy and the ARIA-award-winning Don Bartley (who mastered the album), Karl Taylor has made a mark for himself against the current crop of acoustic singer-songwriters out there. And it’s long overdue.