A return visit to the UK, and an appearance at what is becoming his London home as The Water Rats welcomed back Julian Taylor and his talented band of Michelle “Magic Number” Stodart, Raevennan “Moulette” Husbandes, and Hayley “Pop Evil” Cramer. A true collection of talent, they play as if they’ve been together for years. Julian was promising a mix of songs we know as well as a selection of new songs – he has been releasing a series of singles recently and has a new album ‘Pathways‘ upcoming – and he certainly delivered.
The opening part of the set mostly drew on songs we’ve become familiar with from the “The Ridge” and “Beyond The Reservoir” along with a few earlier numbers which sit well with these such as the openers ‘Back Again‘ and ‘Desert Star‘ which take a wide eyed look at the world, embracing the beauty of life and the world that we’re lucky enough to live in. It’s strange what an upbeat sing-along ‘SEEDS‘ is since it in part addresses, and breaks, the image of Canadians as universally laid back and good-natured as was explained in an emotional introduction. The forced removal of children from their parents under the residential school system which looked to destroy a culture led to hundreds of deaths that were covered up with children buried in unmarked graves. A fruitless, pointless effort, as Julian Taylor points out – “they tried to bury us / but they didn’t know we were seeds.” Victory out of tragedy.
Whilst the biographical ‘The Ridge‘ was as poignant as ever it did lead to a moment of amusement as Michelle Stodart pointed out that they’d skipped ahead on the set list – and what a song to have skipped: ‘Ballad of a Young Troubadour‘, telling of Taylor’s earliest musical forays, has become something of a calling-card. Naturally the error was rapidly and movingly rectified.
And all the while Taylor’s UK band gave perfect framing to the songs. It has to be said, although this is certainly no secret, that Raevennan Husbandes really is some guitar player, lighting up the room with her lead playing. Americana Music Association UK multiple award winner Michelle Stodart was always in the right place – and clearly having a lot of fun being there – whilst Hayley Cramer moved with ease from a gentle accompaniment on these early songs to – later in the evening – a more powerful delivery, adding the requisite rock and roll count-ins.
The band left the stage to allow Julian to deliver a short mini-set with just acoustic guitar and a little more time to explain what these particular songs are about. ‘Weighing Down‘ is one of the more recent songs and takes on self-destructive thinking – being one’s own harshest critic. In response to “carrying too much and slowly breaking down” he suggests changing viewpoints “the way that we choose to look at things is an attitude / looking at the skyline tonight I choose gratitude.” With it’s applicability to his own life – Taylor introduces ‘100 Proof‘ with stories about his own long-lived grandfather and the lyrics seem to reflect on this so strongly it’s surprising to recall that it is actually a cover. The last of this solo spot is given over to ‘Stolen Lands‘ which questions Woody Guthrie’s most famous assertion – coupled with Taylor’s joint heritages there’s a double injustice to be seen: ‘one family had their land stolen the other was stolen from their land.‘
With the band back on stage the mood was taken in a lighter direction – it was indeed time to rock which is exactly what ‘Good To Your Woman‘ does whilst ‘Just a Little Bit‘ adds a funkier beat whilst the words return to themes of self-belief and endurance “Never give up on your dreams in life / keep up the fight.” The soulful ‘Bobbi Champagne‘ got the requisite audience reaction whilst the somewhat musically heavier ‘Zero to Eleven‘ features some stunning vocals from Taylor, whilst Raevennan Husbandes and Michelle Stodart playfully guitar duel. This is good times encapsulated.
Returning for an encore – the coat gone and the mood again a little more intimate – capped the evening out perfectly with final song ‘Pathways‘, from the upcoming new album, a perfect calming balm to pull all the strands of the gig together – a softer rocking song with a folky feel and a pledge of friendship “from beginning to end / we make and lose friends / there are some many pearls to gather / from the first thing we see / to the last thing we need / it’s the life in between that matters. ”
A truly great evening and one that had also truly showcased the different sides of Julian Taylor, the singer-songwriter, the more folky singer tackling what are by any measure difficult topics and the upbeat rock and roller – it’s not all doom as he has said before, and the last part of the set had nailed that truth down hard. The tour has been “excellent” and return visits are promised.
Support came from Georgia Mooney (once of All Our Exes Live In Texas), who is an Australian who has recently moved to London and plays a dulcimer which she won in a raffle. True story, we’re assured. It’s an unusual instrument of choice which, as she herself acknowledges, gives her the ability to rock that early Joni Mitchell look. Introducing her set Mooney remarked that she was going to “sing you some songs about my emotions” which was both accurate and gave a good assessment of her style – brittle, fey folk songs that in places inspire thoughts of Kate Bush, interspersed with an engaging casual wit.
Love is less romanticised in Mooney’s world – ‘What An Inconvenience‘ dwells on not being the one he’s married to, with the acknowledgement that “I feel the guilt, I feel the friction / I hope it’s not a life long affliction / Death by a thousand cuts / This nasty business we call love / Brush away the dust / What an inconvenience is lust.” It’s really a pain – as ‘What’ll I do‘ continues to emphasize, here unrequited love is the fate of the person who “fancies someone from afar who is already married.” Not that all is in vain, ‘Winter Island‘ ,which has a touch of Joanna Newsom about it, relates the story of a Greek island romance from meeting to parting after a self officiated “marriage”.
With her relocation to London it’s safe to say that we should be seeing a lot more of Georgia Mooney – which can only be a good thing.
