Continuing our "static roots on Spotify" Americana music playlist for 2022, "songs that got us through the year" with a Scottish and two American artists: Scotland's Andrew Taylor & The Harmonizers, and America's Caitlin Cobb-Vialet and Scott Ballew...
songs that got us through the year - playlist
Andrew Taylor & The Harmonizers - I'll Never Win
As the captain behind Scotland's Americana-band Dropkick, Andrew Taylor is an incredible master of melody. During the first Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020, Andrew wrote and completed a lot of songs from unused audio clips of little melodies and chord progressions he had stored on his phone. With all Dropkick shows cancelled, Taylor got time to work on them and make a completely unplanned album. At the beginning of 2021, Taylor decided to pick the best songs from the previous year for a proper vinyl, CD and digital release, believing there was a strong album to be sequenced from all the tracks. With his Dropkick band fellows, his brother Alastair Taylor and Ian Grier, Andrew Taylor was joined by Wynntown Marshals' Iain Sloan, they called themselves The Harmonizers and recorded a brilliant self-titled album.
songs that got us through the year - playlist
Caitlin Cobb-Vialet - Ask Me
30 seconds into this song starting as a piano ballad, I was spellbound and fell in love with voice, melody and lyrics. Caitlin explains:
"‘Ask Me’ is a song I wrote inspired by the newfound feeling of safeness and understanding that I felt in my first queer relationship. At the end of the song, I come to the realization that ‘even in love you’re still alone,’ alluding to the temporary nature of even powerful love."
songs that got us through the year - playlist
Scott Ballew - Blue Eyes
Some country greatness, beautiful harmonies, a voice so imperfect, it's country perfection ❤. Scott Ballew's song "Blue Eyes" is pure country awesomeness:
"I wanna live a thousand lives
Fall in love, at least a thousand times
And you can swim upstream til your lung's up and die
But a river can't help you if you fear what's inside
And honey it's gettin' old
Ya dance like you're one
But you're not gonna break me
Took me too long to grow this young
Took me too long to feel this young
And ain't you the queen of the blue eyes
Got the whole damned world on your side
And I'll be happy to go with you anywhere
Just don't take me for a ride
And I'll gladly follow you anywhere
And be happy if only for tonight"
