Lara Taubman is a singer/songwriter from southwest Virginia, residing in New York City. She believes in the power of song and story as an aid to people needing respite in a rapidly transforming world. Her third album is ‘The Gospel of Getting Free’ which follows her albums ‘Revelation’ on Wolfe Records and ‘Ol’ Kentucky Light.’
Lara has been writing songs since 2015 and before that, she was a visual art critic, curator, and painter. After a relationship bust-up, she found music became her saving grace and the centre of her world.
Her songs are narratives relating many aspects of life, from the joy and relief of coming home in the title song ‘Home At Last’ which opens the album, to the joyfully uplifting countrified number ‘A Reason I Was Born.’
Taubman works with a range of solid musicians including Walter Parks, Askold Buk, Teddy Kumpel, Etienne Lytle, Paul Frazier, and others, and producer/drummer Steven Williams who she met on a gig after the release of her first album and they began working together on her next release.
The album is an emotional journey through melancholy, heartache, and hope, and there is such an engagement with humanity in her lyrics and vocals, backed up by the beautiful interactions between the musicians.
Lara has been through dark times, and some of the songs reflect this but, just as she is finding her way towards a lighter, joyful outlook, the music drives ever forward, taking the listener on the journey of suffering, and ultimate deliverance with her. She is driven by her belief that, as humans, we are imbued with an ability to do good, feel better, and know we are not alone in this world.
Taubman is a creative spirit, and her intense emotional capacity is evident in the music she creates. Not that she has left design entirely. In 2023 she started a vintage garment rental company called Lara Sings Vintage which is a collection of clothes she has amassed over 40 years. Wearing designs and creating music are her passions and gifts.
Taubman says of ‘The Gospel Of Getting Free’ “It has been like a ship on which I can finally sail home. I see now that these three albums are primers that guide me out of complex trauma to become my true self.” The lyrics on the songs support this and add pathos to the music.
The music achieves the redemption Lara seeks and tracks like the outstanding ‘Odyssey’ which tells the journey of a love story and finding freedom finally are profoundly evocative. ‘Sugar’ is simply wonderful with its powerful lyrics and driving rhythms – with a clever twist. The title track is a beautiful homage to humanity through the story of a boy, ‘The boy could make dead flowers grow, the moss glowed at his feet’, ‘The meaning of humanity is the gospel of getting free’. The influence of several artists can be felt – including country, bluegrass, a little punk on occasion, and ballads.
Official | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | YouTube | Spotify
Thank you for this review!