It's tempting to call Julian Taylor's music music R&B, except that means something different today than it did in the days of Al Green, Bill Withers, and Van Morrison. JTB look and sound like a rock group, but have none of the macho posturing or distortion pedals--just a hot horn section. There was one week where Taylor found himself on two different Toronto stages paying tribute to Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Marley. Taylor has mused that this chameleonic quality is a product of the Toronto sound--not that of Drake's OVO crew in the 2010s, but one that dates back to the vibrant Yorkville scene that gave birth to the rock/R&B/soul/country hybrid of The Band, where David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat and Tears cut his teeth, where Steppenwolf started out as Sparrow, where Bruce Cockburn later sung with reggae star Leroy Sibbles. Unlike with previous LPs, this is the first time Taylor wrote lyrics before the music. I really want to make sure the lyrics tell a narrative, whether that is a story or an emotional journey. He had plenty to draw from. The 40-year-old guitarist, of mixed Mohawk and African-Canadian heritage, has had a rich life both off and on stage, having seen every side of the music biz: being the hot young thing with a record deal and a radio hit (with Staggered Crossing, in 2001), grinding it out on the cover band circuit, running his own indie label, and now having a creative rebirth in which all those years of experience are paying rich dividends. Recorded live of the studio floor, Avalanche is the sound of a band who is fully capable of cranking up to 11 and dazzling you with pyrotechnics, but chooses instead to put that energy into slinky grooves (Time, Take What You Need, Never Let the Lights Go Dim), smooth country rock (Back Again, Sweeter), and soulful blues (Avalanche, Learn to Love, Gone). His time as an underrated talent is surely over.
Release date:
August 25, 2023
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
-
Phono Preamps - Top Picks
A selection of the best phono preamps for your turntable setup
-
Pro-Ject Phono Box DC Pre-Amp
Compact, high-performance phono preamplifier for both MM and MC cartridges, delivering a clean, detailed signal with minimal noise.
-
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Jessie Murph Sex Hysteria
Columbia Records Group
July 18, 2025 -
Faetooth Labyrinthine [2xLP]
Flenser
September 5, 2025 -
Andrew Pekler New Environments And Rhythm Studies
Faitiche
July 11, 2025 -
Folk Bitch Trio Now Would Be a Good Time
Jagjaguwar
July 25, 2025 -
Scorpions From The First Sting [2xLP]
Bmg
September 26, 2025 -
Glenn Hughes Chosen
Frontiers New Recordings Physical Only
September 5, 2025 -
The Beaches No Hard Feelings
Beaches Touring Inc.
August 29, 2025 -
Minami Kitasono Meridian
Jet Set
August 15, 2025 -
Sundays Static & Silence
Geffen
July 11, 2025 -
Amorphis Borderland [2xLP]
Reigning Phoenix Music America, LLC
September 26, 2025 -
Subsonic Eye Singapore Dreaming ("Philosophising")
Topshelf Records
July 25, 2025 -
Bruce Dickinson More Balls To Picasso (Multicolor Splatter) [2xLP]
Bmg
July 25, 2025 -
Kathleen Edwards Billionaire
Dualtone Music Group
August 22, 2025 -
Chastity Belt Loaded Painted Red (Purple)
Suicide Squeeze
August 15, 2025