Loryn Taggart is a Montreal, Canada-based singer, songwriter and producer who has just caught my attention thanks to the release of her debut album. A concept record meditating on the theme of grief after sadly losing her father, it’s called The Lost Art of Pulling Through.
By Graeme Smith
Loryn’s sound weaves together jazz, blues, pop and folk giving us something that feels familiar yet different and unique. Her debut album was never meant to be created in Montreal, but rather Boston, USA. It was COVID that changed everything, meaning Lauren had to shelter in place in Canada. While the album was sparked by the loss of her father, its ten tracks explore many different kinds of pulling through, healing and surviving life’s hurdles.
The album opens with Boston In The Fall. It’s a slow and pensive start, led by piano before Loryn’s expressive and gripping vocals come in. Its stripped-back arrangement gives plenty of room for the story in its lyrics, which is rich with imagery and utterly spellbinding. I was mesmerised right from the off.
Tell Me How gives us a soulful and vulnerable moment with a bittersweet story that has highs and lows. The Vow takes things in a dramatic direction. It feels sultry and jazzy with a bright, defiant edge. Scandal Monger keeps up this feistiness with a brash, brassy arrangement and catchy pop chorus. It’s a highlight.
Heat slows things back down, returning us to gentle piano and isolated vocals that lead to a powerful, cathartic saxophone crescendo. I is a short and meditative interlude before The Reunion brings a dark and chaotic energy with it. Lighthouse, featuring Joe Moralez, is tentative and confessional dreamy folk.
Egy Dal Apanak sees Loryn joined by string quartet Quatuor Esca and shows a cinematic, neoclassical side to her music. Ohio closes the album with a lingering reflection on how Loryn overcame her fearing of pursuing a music career. I’m certainly glad that she did.
The Lost Art of Pulling Through was produced by Loryn, Marcus Paquin, Daniel Lacoste and Joe Moralez. Featuring on the album are Jadea Kelly, Isaac Symonds, and Loryn’s brother Matthew Taggart, as well as many others. You can give it a listen below.