The newest album by the well-known British blues guitarist and singer-songwriter JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR will be released on June 13th 2025 via Journeyman Records.
Combining aspects of truth-filled Americana, vertitable indie rock, and retro ‘80s style pop, “Black & Gold” pushes the limits of what blues-rock can be as it produces sounds and atmospheres that are both incredibly personal and truly expansive.
a bouquet of silky wonder…
Raw Ramp
This new album (produced by Kevin Shirley) strikes a balance between unabashed vulnerability, brave invention, and audacioius intent as it examines notions of adaptability, personal growth, and the subtleties of human connection.
We had an early listen:
The cool-bluesy ‘Love Lives Here‘ (video shared below) features delicate rhythms, elegant guitar strums, and ripples of keys that perfectly complement Joanne’s wolf-grey, smokehouse-hot voice. And when he listener isready: a bouquet of silky wonder emerges from a superb chorus. This is soothing and uplifting.
‘Summer Love‘ is dazzling and invigorating, includes a lively beat, and the song delivers well-executed vocals, and an outstanding solo approximately two-thirds the way through. This is a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, a little country bit, and a little bit nostalgic! Heavenly!
this offers the type of dramatic intent that will leave any listener breathless!
Raw Ramp
‘Look What I’ve Become’ is perhaps the most ambitious composition here, a combination of sweetness and force. This is blue and gold… with a scope that’s very reminiscent of George Harrison, and it offers the type of dramatic intent that will leave any listener breathless! This song has an incredibly good arrangement and amazing guitar technique. Fantastic!
The title-track ‘Black & Gold’ (written by Sam Sparro aka Sam Falson with Jesse Rogg) is a cocktail of delights, with a shaken humpy thumpiness, throaty vocals, grindy bass, and twilight rhythms.
Yes, with this, Joanne Shaw Taylor goes gold.
Pre-order here: https://shop.joanneshawtaylor.com/collections/black-gold
Words: © Neil Mach 2025
Main Photo: © Elliott Gruenberg
RAW RAMP 