Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

For anybody who made their way to the Robin 2 about a decade ago, to catch sight of the talent that resided in Joanne Shaw Taylor must have been one of the biggest draws to ever come on stage in the small West Midland’s town of Bilston since The Robin 2 opened its doors. The Black Country and Birmingham soon grasped the importance of the outstanding woman who made the guitar sound like a spectre hunting down a soul to possess and whose charm and playing ability captivates all who come into contact with her.

Now devotees of The Blues have another reason in which to worship at the altar of Ms. Shaw Taylor as she releases he latest studio album The Dirty Truth, and the simple honesty, the integrity of her playing is such that if placed upon a witness stand in a court of law, many might it preferable to affirm on something so reliable than swear on something intangible. Certainly there is more of an air of authority that breathes in the ten tracks of the album than can ever be mustard or cobbled together by a lawyer in an ill-fitting wig.

Birmingham has given many great bands and musicians to the world and perhaps can quite rightly suggest in terms of output is the second musical city of the nation. It is hard to argue when songs such as the album title track, the fantastic incorruptible sound of Wicked Soul, the way Ms. Shaw Taylor can leave you breathless and panting for more like a small puppy wishing to be stroked playfully in solid tunes such as Tried, Tested and True and the feeling of salvation at the hands of impure angel in Struck Down all combine to make The Dirty Truth a dream in which to take with you wherever you go. An album of innocence shrouded in a cloak of leather and a guitar so good, so merciless in its message that it stands above judgement.

Joanne Shaw Taylor has surely become the Queen of British Blues. Arguably the most down to Earth, naturally gifted woman of Blues to stride these shores and beyond. America will always try to claim her as one of their own but the simple truth is that this Midlands’ born and raised woman, someone who knocked down the door of the Robin 2 and took everybody inside’s hearts hostage is just uniquely British and full on the finest to pick up the guitar and cause it to sing with passion and craving.

Ian D. Hall