Maria Taylor - 'Lynn Teeter Flower' reviewed
by Wesley Case
Issue date: 3/13/07 Section: Mosaic
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Maria Taylor
Saddle Creek
Rating: 3 and 1/2 stars (out of 5)
It makes sense that Maria Taylor, a 30-year-old folk singer from Birmingham, Ala., is on Conor Oberst's label, Saddle Creek. She has the qualities the Omaha-based stable loves - a drippingly-melancholic croon, a desire for introspection and a penchant for lush melodies. "Lynn Teeter Flower," her second LP, is more of the same.
It's difficult not to hear comparisons to other contemporary female singer/songwriters. The album's jump-off, "A Good Start," has vocoder-assisted vocals similar to an Imogen Heap song, but less annoying. The vocal trick isn't a gimmick, but rather an effective mood setter. Other songs recall Fiona Apple ("Smile and Wave") and Jenny Lewis ("The Ballad of Sean Foley"), but Taylor is smart enough to distinguish herself from her peers.
"Lynn Teeter Flower's" most attractive quality is its groove - whether Taylor is singing over a broken-down acoustic guitar or an uptempo piano ballad, her soul seeps through.
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