Drawing influence from the likes of Modest Mouse, Pavement and Bon Iver, Lifetime of Unending Joy is the debut album from Valley Taylor.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Benjamin Lieber

After some time on the road touring the US, Valley Taylor settled down in a small, west coast town called Winters. Running into Geoff Nelson at a show in Oakland, California, the two quickly got to work recording their debut album.

Consisting of ten raw and emotional tracks, Lifetime of Unending Joy is an album that balances classic alternative influences with originality. Valley’s vocals are wonderfully unique as they deliver their pleading sentiments, all while backed by textured, experimental indie rock led by Geoff’s guitar.

The album opens dreamily through If I Tried before finding an early bittersweet brightness in I Don’t Wanna Die. There isn’t a minute wasted in Valley’s compositions. They are short and to the point, quickly creating atmosphere and building to some cathartic climaxes. Barely five minutes in and we find we’re already in the depths of the brooding and powerful Zombie.

As the album progresses, things mellow. First we get the laidback See Me The Way I Do, followed by the expansive In My Head I’m So Funny. Thematically, the album explores the idea of accepting oneself for who one is, and the latter is a perfect example.

From there, the emotion ramps up nicely, first with the desperately romantic Drag Me Off A Cliff, then with the soft groove of Ran Out of Stars. Heavenly Delusions closes the album with a rich, cinematic and cosmic finale. With it, Valley and Geoff save the best for last.

There’s a refined feel to Valley Taylor’s new album that defies the fact that its a debut. The chemistry between Valley and Geoff is apparent – it feels like the two have been playing together for years. I’m excited to see where they take the project.

Lifetime of Unending Joy was self-recorded at Valley’s home studio. It’s out now and you can give it a listen below.