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WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT ON EMERGING ARTISTS: JULIET
I am honoured to have had the opportunity to listen to the debut album by Juliet Taylor 'MIDAS' released on Friday 6 August 2021 because her incredible talent deserves to be recognised. Juliet is an independent musician based in the Hunter Valley. The eight track album will leave you with goosebumps not just because of Juliet's angelic vocals but also her ability to draw the audience in with unique lyrical storytelling that will leave you breathless.
The title track (Track No. 7) 'Midas' begins with a folk influences before leading into string sections that accompany the angelic vocals. The bridge of the song has a section of strings that crescendo into to layered vocals that echo each other. This song draws together the album to a focal point as it is the second last track leading into the album's conclusion with sombre vocals effortlessly matched by folk guitar.
The opening track 'Garden Variety' has a up tempo melody that draws together the rest of the song with lyrical description of her encounters with garden variety monsters. The verses are slower and deliberately forces the audience to consider what happens when love ends because of the arrogance in a relationship. The bridge of delicate vocals is followed by a funky electronic section that changes up the intense content of the verses with a dynamic transition to the final chorus.
Second track 'Sirens' beings with a rush of waves and familiar sounds from the beach that sets the scene of a sailor being drawn into the water and abandoning the real world to become a treasure that the sirens keep on the ocean floor. The drumming in this song is incredible as it changes from the verse to chorus and bridge. The song ends with a return to the sounds of the beach.
Track No. 3 is titled 'Below' has a mellow introduction that transitions into an intense chorus with an incredible guitar riff that combines with the drums to create a magical moment with a chiming to conclude the chorus. The vocal are incredible in this song but take on a different tone to other songs on the album. The bridge has a section where additional vocals lead into a final chorus where the lyrics draw towards an epic concluding guitar riff .
Track No. 4 'Scrap Metal' has an amazing opening few lines where Juliet simply asks someone to tell her about the end of the world and about the weight of it all. As this song is in the middle of the album it draws the audience into to focus on what is life really about and pause to think about everything while watching the sunset and listening to a lullaby. The lyrics of this song are simply an open ended questioning of how we all can put ourselves back together from our broken parts and living our best lives until the world ends. The lyrics in the bridge are "I have been waiting for this day to come" and truly the day Juliet's album was released is a day that was worth waiting for her fans. The production on this song is insane so credit should be given to the producers and mixers because this song is by far the best on the album.
Track No. 5 'Cruelty' details the cruelty that people have towards others by means of only doing things that make then feel good in this world. Another guitar riff is layered over spoken sections in the bridge followed by a crescendo of vocals and instrumental section where the monster is revealed to be ourselves.
Track No. 6 'Rhapsody' is the most pared back song in terms of production as it features only Juliet's vocals and a piano melody that is accompanied by a string section in the second half of song. A rhapsody is found in this song where the lyrics describe a snake in the garden that will turn back to stone in the daylight but at night it comes to life.
The final track on this album ' Ni Una Menos' has a folk and soulful vibe detailing the suffering of women at the hands of a male and it could be your friend or family as the statistics paint a grim picture of what life is like for women as they go about their everyday lives. Ni Una Menos translates to "not one [woman] less" and is the tagline for the Latin American feminist movement that was started after the murder of Chiara Páez in 2015. Juliet has stated on social media that this song was written this year in the midst of the Brittany Higgins March 4 Justice.
This album is one that is incredibly powerful even on the first listen so I encourage everyone to listen to it so that they can appreciate the angelic vocal and instrumentals.
Check out Juliet on Facebook 'Juliet Taylor Music' and Instagram @julietgwenrosetaylor.
Listen to Midas and on your preferred music service and purchase Midas on iTunes using this link:
-What's New On The Scene
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Contact: whatsnewonthescene@gmail.com
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