After 20 years of writing about music for a variety of publications, I can safely say that I have no idea what albums are going to grab my attention and why. Yes, art is subjective and can mean different things to different people at different times of their lives. And yes, explaining why we like something can often be more nebulous and open-ended than describing why you don’t like something. Sure, I have rather distinct ideas about what I like and why, but pinning them down to a specific artist, sound, scene, or genre can be an exercise in futility. Maybe it’s a function of having a diverse musical palate. Maybe I like being curious about new things. Or maybe I like what I like because I like it, and I’m at the point in my life where I neither need nor want to defend my tastes.
That’s a lot of words to say that Taylor Bickett kicks ass.
Hear me out. I don’t say that often about twenty-something singer-songwriters releasing their debut full-length. Hell, I don’t even listen to this kind of music on any sort of regular basis. But from the first strains of Nothing I Can’t Undo, I knew my ears were in for a treat. She wields this delightful low soprano with an aching edge and good range that breaks just enough on the high notes. Her songs feature vintage folk-pop fare that feels like it erupted right out of her diary and out through her guitar. The confessional topics are timeless and familiar – the same stuff that young artists have literally been singing about for millennia – but she delivers her words with a mature depth and resonance.
I found myself suitably impressed by her excellent musicianship. On one hand, these 11 songs are led by Bickett’s acoustic guitar. You can easily imagine her in a coffee shop or small stage performing solo, like many artists from time immemorial. The tunes are strong on their own, but when the supplemental instrumentation enters the mix, they achieve fresh heights. A warm piano frequently doubles the guitar’s chord progressions, providing important heft, and the occasional batch of light strings and precise drumming offer just enough oomph without overtaking any given track’s core elements. And while the bulk of the album is written in major keys, she never overplays her hand in terms of using familiar arrangements or chord progressions.
The album truly shines in the lyrics.
As you might imagine from my earlier descriptions, Bickett writes openly and honestly about being young and in love. While there’s nothing wrong with that – we’ve all definitely been there – it takes some skill to elevate the average batch of romantic thoughts. Thus, while there is plenty of lovelorn yearning and optimistic flights of fancy on display, she mixes earnest feelings and jaded realism with aplomb.
On “Politician,” she crafts upbeat pop-rock about connecting with a new love interest, even though she’s not sure she trusts herself around him. The chorus contains this hilariously honest line: “He’s got a smile like a politician / That mouth was made for kissing babies and telling lies.” With “Firefly Collector,” she addresses the struggle of conflicting needs and wants in a growing relationship: “To love is something savage, I know / You’ve got me where you want me / So now you don’t.” And throughout the title track, she struggles with her growing feelings, pleading with herself and her potential partner to be patient. It doesn’t help that she knows she’s being a bit more difficult than necessary, admitting to things like, “Nobody likes leaving / But it beats being left / I ruin your punchline / By rushing ahead / I skip to the end.”
The world needs more debut albums like this.
Released on If This Then Records, Nothing I Can’t Undo showcases a strong, self-possessed woman who is aware of her relative youth but confronts life with her eyes wide open. Taylor Bickett draws deeply from the well of artists like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Vanessa Carlton, and Kacey Musgraves. She is resolutely unafraid of expressing her feelings over sharp turns of phrase and a wide creative streak. And sure, she writes about dating and relationships, but she is eminently relatable and rejects any hint of twee preciousness about her emotions. I only wish I had her guts and fortitude when I was her age.