Taylor Locke “Time Stands Still”

Whilst the name, Taylor Locke,may not be familiar to you, he is no newcomer to music, having been part of the LA Music scene since 1999. In fact he had a fair bit of success, although not as much as he deserved, as the co-founder and lead guitarist of Rooney. This is his first release as a solo artist and comes with the added intrigue of knowing inspiration for the title comes from a folder of lyrics given to Taylor by the legendary Kim Fowley.
Opening number “Burbank Women” is a slow, mid paced song which is a gentle intro to the album. Compared to that slow burner, “The Game” has an instant attraction. It’s a pure adult pop song with an almost seventies feel to it. The sound will just have you dreaming of beautiful, sunny, summer days. Equally as bright, but even faster paced, is “Running Away From Love” which is a huge power pop number.

There is an almost ‘stripper theme’ tune to “So Long”, although we are sure that the song is far more honourable that that! This song almost has us recalling Taylor’s Lojinx label mate Butch Walker. It’s another crunching power pop song but with a cheeky hook to it. Whilst the almost sixties vibe of “Time Stands Still”, alongside other songs such as “The Art Of Moving” and “No Dice” have a similar feel to Jellyfish or the off shoot from that band – Umajet.
Taylor’s also not afraid to have a bit of a rock out, as demonstrated by “Call Me Kuchu” which is almost seventies rock in the vein of the legendary Cheap Trick. There is a far more contemporary feel to “Going, Going, Gone” which is really just a great example of adult pop and perhaps a neat telling of his own experiences in Rooney.

This is a really quality album full of well written pop songs. For some reason, the term power pop never really seems to resonate here in the UK. If it is used, it comes with an almost retrospective style or influence. As it happens, it is a term perfectly suited to this album. The songs are ‘pop’ tunes but have a strength and substance that we don’t normally associate with that genre. They probably won’t be troubling the top of the pop charts, but that’s not to say they couldn’t if they were put through the marketing machine and were presented by some fake boy band. It is therefore more likely that this will remain a hidden gem, known only to those with an ear for a good melody. It will at least be in good company alongside the likes of Jason Faulkner and the brilliant Brendan Benson.