Outsider
Universal, 2022
8/10
The queen drummer Roger Taylor’s 6th solo album, these songs were inspired by the Covid lockdowns and are full of his inimitable skill and experience that welcomes Spike Edney (keyboards), Tyler Warren (drums), Tina Keys (multi-instrumentalist), Neil Fairclough (bass) and Christian Mendoza (guitar).
"Tides" starts the listen with warm piano and a very dreamy delivery of graceful, stirring song craft, and "I Know, I Know, I Know" follows with more emphasis on drumming amid the cautious rock that radiates soulful singing.
Halfway through, "Gangsters Are Running This World" emits flowing melodies and some of the best singing on the album, while the fuller and energetic "The Clapping Song" is packed with rhythm and bright textures that even recruits brass for the occasion.
Close to the end, the acoustic intimacy of “Foreign Sand” glows with much beauty in its poetic delivery, and “Journey’s End” exits with a bit of psychedelia present in the spacey, prog-friendly finish.
An album that occasionally sounds like queen, ultimately this is Taylor’s own distinct sound, and he balances calm moments with louder rock across a very accomplished body of work.
Travels well with: Roger Daltrey- As Long As I Have You; Ray Davies- Our Country: Americana Act II