Allan Taylor – Leaving At Dawn (2009) [SACD / Stockfisch Records – SFR 357.4057.2]
Title: Allan Taylor – Leaving At Dawn (2009)
Genre: Folk, Acoustic
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC
Allan Taylor’s Leaving at Dawn (2009), his 20th album, marks a return to his folk-inflected troubadour style, per fRoots. A consummate songwriter, Taylor delivers quintessential work with warm vocals and intricate guitar, maintaining themes of love and place. Written mostly between 2001 and 2007, the songs blend simple yet literate language with universal truths, reflecting on love (Lay Soft on Your Pillow) and locales (Provence). Standouts include the traditional-style Firefly, the poignant The Almost Man (a tribute to his father), and Red on Green, a translated WW1 love letter. The album’s state-of-the-art SACD recording, praised by The Living Tradition, offers stunning clarity and rich textures from instruments like accordion, banjo, and fretless bass. Taylor’s narrative power subtly weaves stories, evoking specific times and situations, with The Last of the Privateers as a full narrative ballad. The album balances reflective melancholy with optimism, encapsulated in lines about following a “golden star.” Its acoustic settings, rooted in folk, feature magnificent guitars and empathetic contributions from a small ensemble. Leaving at Dawn is considered one of Taylor’s finest, drawing listeners with its quality writing, singing, and spacious production. Taylor acknowledges the influence of British and Irish traditional songs, evident in the album’s folk essence.
