Lewis Taylor     

Over the coming weeks I’ll be writing a bit about my favourite albums . If any one recording can claim the number one spot then it’s this one… Lewis Taylor’s self titled debut album will forever be an all time favourite for me.

It’s so strange coming back to this 15 years on. When I first heard Lewis’ sound (incredibly on the Chart Show – some marketing guy somewhere has a lot to answer for…) the layered harmonies and guitar chord progressions sounded like an impenetrable wall of complexity. It was a challenge that my ears could not resist. Somehow this white Londoner had managed to blend the vocals of Marvin Gaye with the harmonies of Brian Wilson, along with the music of a much darker Stevie Wonder – all backed by the sounds of Hendrix-esque guitars… Even that lot doesn’t really do it justice. There’s a Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew edge to the arrangements and in the lyrics he assumes the personae of an angsty love guru. In fact he put me in mind of a kind of post-modern Barry White!

Like I said, 15 years on, it sounds very different yet no less brilliant. The sense of mystery that surrounded that minimal album cover, single word song titles and eclectic sound has cleared. In 1996 it was hard to tell if Lewis was serious or having a laugh with some of his lyrics and soul vocal inflections. Subsequent recordings have confirmed that he often was joking around. However, on this album at least, he still sounds heartfelt all the while.

Perhaps back then, the limitations of the album’s production (incredibly all done on an 8 track by Lewis himself) hampered it’s progress. Those of us who could hear past that got utterly lost in the intricate beauty of it all. But I must admit that now, even more than back then, the synth lines and sequenced drums expose the limited resources that put the recording together. And yet, in a way, that’s part of it’s beauty. From a musical point of view, his songs sound so unique, precisely because of the limitations. Most of them involve a drum pattern that remains the same all the way through. Yet the complex arrangements are beautifully planned and then finished with guitar/vocal flourishes. This ensures it all sounds in-the-moment.

Both lyrically and musically, Lewis comes across as sensitive, yet masculine – a winning combination. I could quote some of the words here, but honestly they’ll just put you off listening! There’s little, if any, great poetry or new insight here in a lyrical sense. It’s how he sings it that will bring you peace from your failed or rocky love affair.

On a final note, if you like this album it’s worth digging around for the B-side ‘Waves’. I heard a rumour that it was meant for the album but was pulled by the label at the last moment in favor of the infinitely more accessible ‘Whoever’. Probably that was the right decision but ‘Waves’ is still one of the most remarkable pieces of music I’ve ever heard.

Lewis very much influenced my style in vocals, arranging and production. The harmonies in ‘Have I Told You’ – especially in the mid section – I owe to the many hours I spent listening to this wonderful album.