For his fifth album, British singer-songwriter Sean Taylor speaks his mind loud and clear! In his own words, “I’m an unwilling member of the generation defined by neo liberalism. One of Thatcher’s children, who became Blair’s adults. This album is a howl against both, a direct response to a world where we are judged by what we consume rather than what we contribute.”

Though the outcries do come thick and fast on Love Against Death, and that may be initially daunting for some, Taylor delivers his sermons with plenty of musical nous. Second track in, ‘Kilburn’, an ode to his home town, is instantly anthemic with its chorus of “coming home, coming home.”

A little like Lisa Hannigan’s album, Love Against Death makes the effort to seek out less conventional instrumental arrangements, albeit with conventional instrumentation. Percussion and piano are sparse and fluid, and Taylor continues to prove himself a tasteful and capable guitarist.

After 13 songs, I do find myself wearing of Taylor’s whispered addresses, and songs like ‘Cassady’, about Kerouac’s hero Neil Cassady, sound like the words of an idealistic 18-year-old who has just read On The Road for the first time. But to a generation younger than mine, I can see that these words would speak volumes.

By Martin Jones 

# Sean Taylor – Love Against Death #

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