Sean Taylor ‘The Beat Goes On’  

The ‘Beat Goes On’ offers light to darkness.  It covers the themes of love, beauty, hope and nature, and sets these in opposition to sadness, loss, fear, and hurt. ‘The Beat’ draws on blues, soul, folk, jazz, Americana, and Roots music. 

 The album was recorded in London and in Austin, Texas, with producer Mark Hallman.  Sean’s voice, guitar and piano are front and centre, alongside Hallman’s exquisite multi-instrumental production. ‘The Beat Goes On’ is made from eleven songs, ten written entirely by Sean, plus an interpretation of a poem by the American laureate, Robert Frost. 

‘It’s Always Love’ features Michael Buckley’s soprano saxophone, a clear nod to Celtic soul. Michael appeared on an earlier album with Sean, ‘Walk With Me’, and it’s great to have him back.   ‘Lament for Dead’ complemented by Brian Standefer on cello, and ‘Nowhere To Hide’ (again with Michael Buckley) were both written at the height of the Covid pandemic. They’re a reaction and response.  ‘Nocturne’ highlights Sean’s piano playing which became something of a beautiful obsession during lockdown.  

 The album’s title track and ‘Better times’ celebrate the importance of art, where ‘artists and lovers stand tall in the hope of better times’. ‘Let Kindness Be Your Guide’ is a song about friendship and the belief that goodness will always prevail. ‘Stay With Me’ is a song for the wild of the night where ‘poetry takes flight’. 

 ‘Be My Love In The Rain’ was taken from a line in the Robert Frost poem ‘Storm Song’. Poetry has always been a huge influence on Sean’s work and this song combines Sean’s guitar virtuosity with delicate piano. 

‘Back On The Road’ is a song celebrating the life of a troubadour. For twenty years Sean Taylor has toured the world, the road remains his home from home.  The joy of returning to the stage for Sean took him on a 25-date tour of Europe in autumn 2020. He will be back on the road February-May 2022 to promote ‘The Beat Goes On’ 

The album closes with ‘The Heart Of The Ocean’ a love song to the sea. It took Sean fifteen years to write, starting out as a guitar song and now finally as an epic piano finale. ‘Sea and sky are one’. 

Sean Taylor and Mark Hallman have created a wide-ranging album of different influences, sounds and production. 

Sean Taylor
Tour info @ www.seantaylorsongs.com/gigs