Maria Taylor – Ladyluck
Maria Taylor is a singer/songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama. Upon learning this, I immediately had high hopes for her soon-to-be released album titled “LadyLuck”, since one of my favourite bands, Wild Sweet Orange, hail from Birmingham and the music scene in Alabama has quite an impressive reputation. I was sure Taylor would not disappoint – and she certainly lived up to every expectation.
While “LadyLuck” has an undeniable sadness to it, in no way is Maria Taylor drowning in her sorrow. Instead, a soft optimism shines through the lyrics and hushed vocals. In “Cartoon and Forever Plans” (on which she collaborated with REM’s Michael Stipe) she sings, “did you know my glass is never empty, and did you know I’m not as fragile as I thought?” The heartbroken words of a woman who is still hopeful about love are nothing short of inspiring and simply stunning.
On the album’s first single, “Time Lapse Lifeline”, Maria Taylor sings “we dream of a life… and just like that it’s done”. One can say the same thing about “LadyLuck”; it is everything we hoped for and more, it’s heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time, and just like that it’s done. And so we hit repeat and enjoy it again.
