Spenblog

Back when the earth was young, I worked at the small on-campus venue at Berklee called “the Red Room at Cafe 939” promoting shows. The venue was (and remains) just that–a red room. There’s really nothing else there. It’s an all ages standing room only venue with no bar. I can’t remember the capacity but it’s not much more than a few hundred. That said, it’s not without its charm. Because the audience usually consists of Berklee students (generally first and second years who can’t go out drinking yet), there’s usually a genuine excitement in the air. Everybody listening wishes they were playing. Most people there are really listening to what is going on–even if for no other reason than to say to themselves “I could do it better.”

When I worked for the Red Room, my basic responsibilities for any gig were designing a poster for the show, spreading the word, then attending the show day of to get photos, interviews, and content for our YouTube channel. I was 19-20 at the time. The job made me feel like I worked for Vice News. I was getting behind the scenes footage and rubbing shoulders with working musicians. Hell, I even got an autographed Boy and Bear record (one of Tina’s favorite bands) and met those guys when they came through town. I felt really cool. It was probably the best job I ever had.

That said, I saw a lot of lousy bands and singers. I also went to a number of shows where barely anybody showed up. But on some occasions, I would get blown away by somebody I had never heard of.

One of those instances was seeing Taylor Berrett in March of 2015. He was opening for another musician whose name slips my mind. I didn’t realize it at the time, but he was coming off the release of his debut (and only) major label record Great Falls, which was released on Warner Records.

I can remember the date of this performance because I took the official Red Room video of it. It’s still up on YouTube (I spelled his name wrong). It was apparently recorded on a Nokia flip phone during an earthquake, but I think the quality of the songwriting and performance still cuts through. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpunLsM_vc8. I checked out the record later that night and have been a fan ever since.

Turning to the record – it’s a very earnest and heartfelt eleven tracks. It’s a complete album that stays true to its name. The high points are high and the low emotional points feel very low.

The first track, Those Days, has a killer horn arrangement that reminds of Jason Mraz’s Butterfly. There’s an optimism and sappiness to the track that I connect to–especially the bridge: “And even when the wind gets colder, it only makes me want to hold you more and more.” Those Days lays the emotional groundwork for the rest of the album and shows Berrett’s songwriting and guitar chops.

The second track, Hypnotize Me is very millennial. I hear my generation being mocked for “stomp clap hey” music all the time – and the criticism is not undeserved. This track could be sorted into that category. But don’t let that distract you from the fact that it is a very good catchy song. I think in the hands of a prominent band of that time period, it could have been a hit. It’s dated, but damned if it isn’t a joy to listen to.

The best track on the record is Whole Heart. It is such a sincere, genuine, simple love song. It’s delivered with everything Berrett has and it’s hard to listen to the track and not think of somebody that you care about. It’s such a universal sentiment – the idea that you want to learn to give somebody that you care about the love that they deserve. The track really moves me.

Two other standout tracks, The Best Kind of Heartbreak and the Heat only further show the depth of songwriting ability Berrett has. If I were to levy a criticism against the album its that it appears to be searching for what Berrett’s sound will be. On some tracks, he sort of imitates Paul Simon. On some, there is a Jack Johnson vibe. I don’t think that Berrett quite discovers on this record what he will sound like moving forward. Nor does he carve out a unique sound for himself

All in all, when you listen to the record, it sounds like a new artist with talent and passion trying to find what his thing will be. Even the album cover shows the singer looking outwards, not quite sure of himself. The album is full of potential.

BUT after the record came out – nothing much happened with Berrett’s music career that I can tell. I tried to find some press on this album (a decade later) and there are a few promotional articles and interviews, but nothing much else. I couldn’t find a copy of his record to order online (it’s on Spotify). I don’t know if Warner dropped Berrett as an artist or if he left. Berrett put out a few indie singles in recent years.

Tina and I have been fans of Great Falls for years. I wish it had done better than it did. I wish Berrett had developed as a songwriter and performer and put out more music with a label. I think Great Falls never got the love it deserved. I hope you’ll check it out. https://open.spotify.com/album/3BBBzg7Gp3PuAw1uXYza9m?si=9wg-MnhvS1O2fahEioGHGw