RIYL: Vanessa Carlton, Kate Voegele, Cobie Caillat
No album in the last five years has brought out the big brother in us quite like Angel Taylor’s Love Travels has. The former California coffeehouse singer has assembled an album of mannered piano pop so wistful that it should come with a bonus CD of heavy sighs to play concurrently with the album. If we ever meet Ms. Taylor, the conversation will start with us giving her a big hug, tousling her hair and assuring her that everything will be all right, sweetie. She’s not exactly reinventing the wheel here, but the songwriting has a throwback feel to it, lifting songs like “Make Me Believe” and the Vanessa Carlton-ish “Chai Tea Latte” over the dreck that passes for adult contemporary pop today. And, thank heaven, Taylor has no use for melisma-inspired vocal runs, preferring to keep things simple. That is one trend we hope picks up some more steam. If you have a sensitive tween girl in your life, this is the album for her. And her mother. (Sony 2009)
Angel Taylor MySpace page
Click to buy Love Travels from Amazon
