Jaqualyn Taimana Williams - EP Review: Guns of Dialogue
Successful children’s music creator Jaqualyn Taimana Williams has recently released a 5-track EP called
Guns of Dialogue to follow up her 2019 multi-genre album Statues of Liberty. Guns of Dialogue has a great rock vibe overall, with a fusion of various other elements woven throughout its tracks.
The EP kicks off with the folk-rock exploration of self Am I Art? It is a rhythmic, steady, march up the garden path of existential musing, with layers of lovely Celtic-sounding strings giving it a whimsical, folky, feel to suit the dreamy lyrics.
In Between has a more electronic sound in the intro, coupled with a vocal style that reminds me a little bit of Icelandic sensation Bjork. Then the rock guitar kicks in, bringing with it a heavy emotion to go with the quite intense lyrics. I tend to review music by how it makes me feel and the mental imagery it invokes, and this song carries with it the sense of heavy heart. There is a strong feeling of fatedness and being pushed to the edge, yet still full of determination and fight.
Only Owls is a really great song with quite an epic rock/pop sound. Full of punchy guitar riffs and a catchy chord progression. The vocal melody is really cool with nice harmonies overlaid. It’s structured well too, with a nice breakdown. An awesome well-written song, I like it a lot.
The next track is a heavier rock song which I would also describe as pop, due to its catchiness and easy digestibility to a broad audience. You Would is a bit of a wish list for a soulmate, and I can relate. Ah yes, the eternal search as we wander this barren land, with seemingly insurmountable chasms between expectations and reality when it comes to romance. A cutesy and heart-warming song, and I do hope that these dreams are fulfilled for her in this lifetime.
Closing out the EP is Naaku, an acoustic Te Reo rock song that gallops along triumphantly. It’s one of those songs that you can’t help but move your body to!
The EP has been produced by Tim Skedden with mixing and mastering by Chris Chetland at Kog Studio. It was launched with an all-ages variety show in William’s now hometown of Hamilton, complete with comedy and, of course, lots of music! This is one very creative lady making music with passion and oodles of self-expression. So, in answer to the question posed in track one; YES, Jaqi Taimana, you are indeed, art! Keep doing what you do.
About Jaqualyn Taimana Williams
At age 50, Jaqi released her powerful, exhilarating and engaging 16 track rock/pop album Statues Of Liberty in October 2019. Recorded at Kog Recording Studio with the track production expertise of Tim Skedden (The Feelers, Babysitters Circus) and the mastering skills of Chris Chetland, this collection of songs represents the best and most popular works emerging over decades of songwriting and performing.
A gutsy artist whose lyrics track her inter-human battles and emotional depths over many years, Jaqi says: “It’s a triumph for me, a body of work that is truly dynamic and diverse and plays through beautifully as a whole album.”
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Jaqualyn Taimana Williams
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