A short while ago, Montreal-based singer-songwriter Loryn Taggart released her debut long player, entitled The Lost Art of Pulling Through.
Produced by Marcus Paquin, Daniel Lacoste, and Joe Moralez, while Loryn produced three tracks on her own and co-produced three others, the 10-track LP features collaborations with notable Canadian musicians such as Jadea Kelly, Isaac Symonds, Loryn’s brother Matthew Taggart and others.
Taggart explains, “When I started this album, I was determined to be the only songwriter. I saw great value in that. In the end, the songs that were co-written by other artists are my favorite songs. Opening up to co-writing was hard, but now I can’t get enough of it.”
A concept album, Taggart began creating the album following the death of her father. The album reveals the catharsis of creation, escorting listeners through a deep valley of anger and grief to the other side, where one finds happiness again.
Speaking subjectively, highlights on the album include opener “Boston In The Fall,” traveling on a graceful, elegiac piano, topped by Taggart’s poignant vocals, conveying the power of memories and their association with place.
Suffused in gospel savors, “Tell Me How” starts off slow and low, and then mousses up to a charming mid-tempo rhythm as smoothly braying brass adds luscious textures and hues.
The prayerful petition “Lord just let me love again” bares the aching vulnerability of “Heat” as Taggart’s evocative vocals imbue the lyrics with profound sensations.
“Egy Dal Apanak,” the sole instrumental piece on the album, is a personal favorite because of its soft, gorgeous flow, a flow that escalates slightly, and then, on the outro, assumes trembling passion and a kind of expectancy.
A jazz-tinted tune, “Ohio” is at once introspective and wistfully inspirational, gliding on silky filaments of strings and a sumptuous piano as Taggart’s exquisite voice infuses the lyrics with the essence of shared humanity and experiences.
Drenched in various stylistic flavors, highlighted by the irresistible voice of Loryn Taggart, The Lost Art of Pulling Through is bewitchingly superior.
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