Music Reviews
Apr-May 2004
Music of the West
Sing and Swing
By Hugh McLennan
Lynn Taylor Donovan
Talk To Me, Pacific Records
 The manner in which Lynn Taylor Donovan’s career has unfolded over the past twenty years is not exactly textbook entertainment biz stuff. In fact, the resident of interior B.C. must shake her head when she strolls down memory lane.
As someone who was singled out by many as an artist and entertainer all but guaranteed to click at radio, and head for the big time in the eighties, Donovan found herself looking at more roadblocks than is imaginable.
A string of singles sporadically released through the early nineties barely kept her profile flickering as album projects ended up getting shelved. Thankfully, a game plan that is delivering the desired results is finally in place for this Okanogan lass. For the past three years she’s been creating a stir overseas, particularly in places like England, The Netherlands, and Belgium, markets that are particularly receptive to Canadian country artists.
In part this album is a response to the success of the singles released overseas. It finds Donovan in fine company, belting out ten tunes, four of which she had a hand in writing.
Emotive and passionate, Donovan at times walks the country-pop line, but does so with sincerity and just enough spicing from mandolin, dobro, and harmonica to keep it all in the country camp.
Songs with a story to tell, two being “Make It On My Own” and “Angel In Your Eyes”, inspired the most memorable performances in this set, where some of the west coast’s finest players were enlisted, including drummer vocalist Geoff Eyre and guitarists Brent Shindell and Robbie Steininger.
Perseverance has finally paid off for Lynne Taylor Donovan and this disc should continue to keep her career on track.
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