Taylor, Julian - Pathways [CD]

On his 2024 album, Pathways, Julian Taylor candidly captures how he approaches handling a litany of ever-lingering burdens which mirror the struggles we all experience. This relentless inner search has resulted in a collection of eight concise tracks co-produced by Taylor and Colin Linden (Emmylou Harris, Bruce Cockburn, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings), mixed by Colin Linden, and mastered by Greg Calbi. Taylor looked even further inward than ever before to corral this succinct song cycle which attempts to come to grips with the throes of strife that wrack us all, yet somehow find a way to power through it all. When you feel heavy, you've got to get things off your chest, believes Taylor, and Pathways reflects the way I was feeling while I was writing it and making it. What any of us are going through at any particular time acts as an imprint of what we're battling and trying to heal within ourselves. As the songwriting process continued to unfold, the album's title track, an acoustic travelogue co-written with Robert Priest and Rosanne which features the sweet harmonies of on-the-rise Americana/folk vocalist Allison Russell emerged as the overall theme and name for the collection. The album lays down the long, winding trail that leads it's listeners toward finding their own personal zen amidst much internal discord. In Taylor's view, three words sum Pathways up perfectly. It's about righteousness, acceptance, and enlightenment, he concludes.