by Seamus Fitzpatrick
Joanne Shaw Taylor has built her reputation on the expressive possibilities of the electric guitar, but The Trouble With Love reveals an artist whose musical identity extends well beyond instrumental virtuosity. Produced by Kevin Shirley, the album moves between contemporary blues, rock, soul, and pop-influenced songwriting, bringing Taylor’s guitar playing and singing into a shared expressive language. Her phrasing, rhythmic instincts, and attention to melodic detail give the performances their character, while the arrangements provide enough stylistic variety to keep the music engaging. The result is a collection where the songs remain the priority, even when the guitar playing commands attention.
The title track, featuring Joe Bonamassa, opens the set. Two contrasting guitar tones introduce the song: a cleaner rhythm sound and a warmly saturated lead voice. As the band enters, the guitars settle into complementary rhythmic figures, leaving room for Taylor’s confident vocal delivery. Her melody draws on familiar blues inflections, while the chorus expands the harmonic palette through a colorful progression that creates additional tension before returning to the tonic. Male backing vocals answer the central refrain, giving the hook an infectious call-and-response quality. The guitar solos maintain the song’s momentum while offering contrasting approaches. Bonamassa takes the first solo, developing sustained melodic phrases with a warm, saturated tone, clear pick attack, and precise rhythmic placement. Taylor answers with a slightly brighter tone, fragmented chordal figures, and an assertive rhythmic approach. Their contrasting styles give the exchange a conversational quality, with each guitarist contributing a distinctive musical personality. Neither passage interrupts the song’s momentum. Instead, the instrumental dialogue extends the energy established by the vocals and rhythm section. Taylor’s final vocal chorus brings an additional surge of intensity as she moves into a higher register and adopts a grittier vocal tone.
“This Is Who I Am” reveals Taylor’s interpretive ear. Originally recorded by Celeste, the song becomes a vehicle for Taylor’s dramatic vocal interpretation. A piano introduction establishes a minor-key atmosphere through chromatic movement and the tension of a leading tone seeking resolution. Strings and rhythm section gradually expand the arrangement, creating a setting for one of the album’s more emotionally concentrated performances. Taylor approaches the melody with a darker, more biting timbre than on the title track, shaping phrases through carefully placed accents, fluid glissandos, and sustained legato lines. The chorus gains strength from its descending melodic contours and emphatic arrival on the tonic, giving the declaration of identity genuine musical conviction. As the performance develops, Taylor opens her upper register, allowing longer sustained notes and expressive vibrato to intensify the final chorus. The closing guitar solo reinforces the connection between her two musical voices. Its bends and sustained phrases echo the expressive slides of her singing, translating similar emotional gestures into instrumental language.
The album’s more immediately accessible side emerges on “What Good Is My Love?,” featuring guitarist Orianthi. Built around a catchy electric-guitar figure and an energetic backbeat, the song favors rhythmic consistency and melodic directness over elaborate harmonic movement. The verse and chorus rely on repeating patterns that make the arrangement easy to follow, while the rhythm section supplies a warm, buoyant foundation. Additional guitar figures and fills accumulate as the performance progresses, providing variety without disturbing the central groove. The production gives the bass and drums a satisfying presence, and the layered backing vocals support Taylor’s melody without overwhelming it. Particularly effective is the restraint in the guitar tones: there is enough sustain to provide warmth and energy, but the attacks remain clear, preserving the rhythmic definition that drives the song. The arrangement demonstrates how straightforward musical materials can produce a compelling performance when instrumental balance and rhythmic detail receive attention.
These selections illustrate the album’s broader musical appeal. Taylor moves comfortably between blues-rock intensity, dramatic vocal interpretation, and lighter, groove-oriented songwriting. What connects these approaches is her understanding of how musical details serve a larger arrangement. A guitar fill can answer a vocal phrase, a shift in register can intensify a chorus, and a carefully balanced rhythm section can make a straightforward progression feel compelling. Shirley’s production reinforces those relationships by allowing the individual instruments to retain their character while contributing to a cohesive ensemble sound. The stylistic variety never feels disconnected because Taylor’s musical personality remains recognizable throughout.
Her guitar playing remains a defining attraction, particularly in the way she shapes sustained notes, articulates rhythmic figures, and builds solos around melodic ideas. Yet her singing deserves equal consideration. Her command of vocal color, phrasing, and dynamic development gives the material an emotional dimension that instrumental technique alone could not provide. The most convincing moments occur when those qualities converge, as they do in the expressive relationship between the vocal performance and closing guitar solo on “This Is Who I Am.” Throughout the album, Taylor demonstrates that technical facility becomes most meaningful when it contributes to the character of a song.
The Trouble With Love is an album the reflects Joanne Shaw Taylor understanding that memorable blues performances depend on more than impressive guitar solos. They require strong melodies, rhythmic conviction, expressive singing, and arrangements that give every musical element a purpose. With Kevin Shirley providing a production framework that accommodates the album’s stylistic diversity, Taylor brings those qualities together with confidence and musical maturity. Her guitar remains a commanding voice, but it is the relationship between her singing, instrumental expression, and songwriting that gives this collection its lasting appeal. That’s the short of it!
