Music With A Message
Lara Taubman: The Gospel of Getting Free
(Atomic Sound / 21 June 2024)

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NYC-based singer-songwriter Lara Taubman calls herself 'a troubadour of the new world'.

My new album, 'The Gospel of Getting Free,' has been like a ship on which I can finally sail home. I see only now that my three albums are primers that guide me out of my own complex trauma to become my true self.

For Lara, music was always about the search for freedom. But, it took some time to get to where she is today - in fact, it took her previous two albums. 

The same ideas that drove me to write the songs for 'The Gospel of Getting Free' also helped me come up with the songs for the first two albums. What distinguishes this album from the last two are two things. First, I feel more mentally healthy than I ever have. Last summer I began working with somatic therapy for trauma and it changed my life quickly. I immediately wanted more hope in the music as expressed in the songs “The Reason I Was Born” and “Sing Your Song.” Even the songs that are about dark matters like addiction (“Sugar”) and heartbreak (“The Odyssey,”) carry a sense of humor and an inner hope instead of despair.

She believes in the power of song to heal, and that's the approach that runs through the release.

Portrait of artist Lara Taubman by Paul Story

There are ten tracks on the album, each telling a story. Musically, her style falls within the Americana slot, in moods that shift from uplifting to the haunting melodies of The Siren.

Sugar shifts into a mode of jazzy rock fusion with a sexy groove - while the lyrics belie the mood with a story about addiction. 

Her vocals are simple and focus on the words rather than adornment. 

Could I have been your great remorse?
Steering from your charted course?

(from The Siren)

The focus is on the story and the underlying message about human emotions and their conflicting ends. She's an inventive lyricist with a poetic mode of expression.

The title track spotlights acoustic guitar and vocals, with a backdrop of synthy strings that add to the atmosphere. It's typical of the kind of polished approach she takes to the music. This isn't stripped down basics, but rather, a rootsy seed that's been grown in a well nourished hothouse. 

If you like a positive message along with your lushly arranged Americana, this is an album for you.

• Official Website: https://www.larataubman.com