Julian Taylor Band - Tech Noir (2014)

Julian Taylor is recognized as one of the hardest working and most underrated singer-songwriters in Canada. Dating back to his days with Staggered Crossing, Taylor along with Dan Black, David E.G. Marshall, and Jeremy Elliott were at the forefront of the Canadian roots scene for nearly a decade, winning several awards and having several top-10 songs. In 2007, the quartet decided to separate, but they still play occasionally around the Toronto live music scene.

They’ve returned with a soul-funk-roots album, Tech Noir, which includes “Never Gonna Give You Up”. The album is fun, cool, and smooth. Tech Noir isn’t necessarily an album that tries to recapture the sound of the ’50s, ’60s, or ’70s, but instead what Taylor and his bandmates have done is modernize soul, funk, and roots, often bringing all three genres into one song and adding hints of R&B and Motown as necessary.