Posted on: August 14, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Alaria Taylor – Bread or Water / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.alariataylor.com

Alaria Taylor is perhaps the most decorated musician that you have never heard. Among these accolades are winning the VH-1 Song of the Year Contest and the Billboard Magazine World Song Contest. The five tracks that are on “Bread or Water” show the reason why Taylor has received all of these accolades. While the guitars start off strongly during “Nobody Else Like You”, it is the Heart-like vocals of Taylor that come to dominance during the track. The high energy of the arrangements during this song lay the foundation for a compelling and intense EP. Aside from the vocals, the linkages present between the different instruments are something to admire; the guitars, bass, and drums link together to provide the perfect pallet for Taylor’s vocals to shine on.

The production of “Bread or Water”, done by Joe Puerta (bassist for Bruce Hornsby and Ambrosia) is the final element that is needed to make “Bread or Water” into one of the strongest EPs of 2007. The audience that can appreciate “Bread or Water” is large because of the constellation of Puerta’s production, Taylor’s vocals, and the rest of the act’s instrumentation. These factors make it easy for music fans of all stripes to find something that they like; while the music is vibrant and current, Taylor’s compositions here draw heavily on the styles from the seventies and eighties. The disc’s best track has to be the title cut; the instrumentation steps up its’ game by putting forth a scintillating riff that has never been heard in music before.

These riff forces Taylor’s vocals to make that additional step and achieve a Stevie Nicks-like quality. Where “Since You Been Gone” and “Time of Angels” represent strong tracks on the EP, “Bread or Water” is the song that should be present on any rock station’s rotation. Alaria Taylor will undoubtedly win more awards in the years to come, and if she is allowed to go and really create the same impressive work as is the norm on “Bread or Water”, it will only be a matter of time before she is right up there in popularity with Kelly Clarkson and other popular female stars. There may only be 5 cuts on this EP, but these songs can be played over and over again without it sounding tired or played out in the least. Give the disc a go if you like solid rock music.

Top Track: Bread or Water

Rating: 6.8/10

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