Joanne Shaw Taylor – Diamonds in the Dirt

Miss Taylor is a young and talented artist.  Her last release White Sugar was a fine Blues/Rock CD that I just never found time to review.  The new release Diamonds In The Dirt continues in that vein of fine Blues/Rock.  Things start of a little slow with Can’t Keep Living Like This and build to the equivalent of getting hit in the head with a sledge hammer.  The first time I heard this song I was in front of a bunch of kids and when the second guitar solo kicked in, I just went wow and they all wondered why I was talking to myself.  That solo could have went on forever as far as I was concerned and is certainly way on the Rock side.

Song number two Dead And Gone continues the rockin’.  Same As It Never Was slows things down and has a little Pop edge to it.  Next up is Jump That Train, which kicks things back into high gear and is the song that I believe the label has been pushing.  It’s easy to see why.  The high energy continues with Who Do You Love?  The title track Diamonds In The Dirt is a pretty little tune that gives the listener a chance to experience Miss Taylor’s vocals in a little different setting, along with background vocals and some tasty guitar playing.

Let It Burn does just that and I get the feeling that playing with Eric Sardinas on the Black Pearls and White Sugar tour may have had an influence on this song.  We find more inspired guitar playing on World On Fire and this tune has a real familiar, kind of old friend feel to it.  I could probably figure it out if I didn’t have returning to work tomorrow, installing a dishwasher and the Green Bay Packer game coming up in two hours on my mind. 

There is some more heavy guitar playing on Lord Have Mercy and The World And It’s Way is another slower beautiful song with some poignant lyrics as there is throughout this CD. I have to tell it straight, there is a lot more Rock than Blues here, so some of you Blues purists will turn up your nose at this release.  I think there is a little something here for everyone and I would encourage you to click the links on this page and give it a listen.  Miss Taylor will be playing at the Great Northern Blues Society’s 2011 Blues Café’ on March 26^th this year and if you miss her performance, well that is a you problem.

 Ron Hoerter