ON YOUR PLAYLIST: Tailor 'The Dark Horse'

24 August 2012 - 02:17 By Nikita Ramkissoon
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It’s dark and twisty.

Not the Grey’s Anatomy kind. I mean real dark and twisty.

Songstress Tailor’s debut album The Dark Horse is a showcase of a strong voice coupled with powerful music.

Seeing her live before I listened to the album was disconcerting, because I couldn’t believe such a voice came out of such a tiny body.

Though Tailor – born Melanie Le Roux – is so slight, she refuses to play nicely. She’s no wilting flower and she shows it with a tight album full of darkness.

Wolf is an eerie first single, deceiving the listener with a sweet and simple opening but grabs you by the throat with its spine-chilling lyrics.

Tailor pulls out all the stops with Why Don’t You Love Me and Step Back, which reminds me of that 90s Alanis Morissette anger, full with long hair draped over her face. This is one angry little girl.

Her piano skills come through on Shaped like a Gun, and the vocals are stripped-down, uncomplicated and tender.

Ghosts and Love Anthem lift the mood, both led by the simple strumming of acoustic guitar. Where the Boys Are is a softer, almost hippy song, not really keeping with the ambience of The Dark Horse.

The dark and twisty is brought back with I’ve Tried and then a chink of light is let in with Alive and its alive and kicking piano.

These complexities and depth of the album, along with its shadowy theme, are all brought together by one simple truth; Tailor’s voice is exceptional.

Though I do feel she could chill out a bit – the world isn’t that bad.

This could be the beginnings of South Africa’s Tori Amos, but not quite there yet. She needs to get rid of the angst, stop taking herself so seriously and find her footing. And then all Tailor needs to do is learn to play two pianos at once and she’ll be halfway there.

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