Taylor Joshua Rankin‘s second album is a farewell and a hello, the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, and a promise: Sun, Will Grow. The artist completed the recording just before a 350-mile move from the Bay Area to L.A. The flower on the cover, the field recordings in the songs and the impressive score of collaborators are all part of a life left behind; the color and hope are new.
The album is tinged with all of the wistfulness one can imagine; the early part of “Snow Leopard” sounds like an orchestra tuning, a metaphor for preparation. Like all of the tracks on Sun, Will Grow, the title is inspired by a film, although not every connection is obvious. Rankin’s cinematic leanings, best exemplified in the opening overture, are well-suited to his new home. Najeebah Al-Ghadban’s collages, one for each track, are movie posters waiting to happen. But not everything is so smooth; “Speaking Clearly” battles its title, with seemingly improvised keys, minor melodies in search of resolution, much like the artist, who admits to childhood trauma and loss.
The album has a trajectory in mind. Rankin is moving to an area of warmer sun and longer summers, in one sense from city to city, beach to beach, but in another, from jackets to t-shirts, coats to shorts. L.A. is also a city of connections, a fine place for an artist with talent, confidence and perseverance. If only he could take the orchestra with him! But in a way he does; dramatic, propulsive pieces such as “Face of Another,” are now the highlight of his resume. Late in the set, Rankin uses glissandos to represent his physical and emotional shift, and even before the sun emerges in the title track, its arrival is signaled by the glockenspiels of the penultimate piece.
In the finale, the jaunty piano keys of “Speaking Clearly” are straightened out; now they are speaking clearly. The move has led to greater clarity and a hopeful vision. On the next album, listeners will discover what sort of effect geography has on the composer. Much has been left behind; we hope there is even more to discover in the City of Dreams. (Richard Allen)
a closer listen 