Because of my age, I’ll always associate the sounds of mainstream R&B from the late 1980s and early ’90s with grown-up sophistication. Over the past decade, an array of contemporary singer-songwriters have drawn a lot of inspiration from those complex but understated harmonies, crisp and airy sounds and relaxed grooves. And as with anything that becomes something of a trend, some musicians have made some timeless music by working hard to make the sounds their own and adapt them to tell their stories. Nashville songsmith Taylor Noelle’s steadily growing catalog is a sterling example.
Her 2025 record Junegloom features outstanding songs that get philosophical about the complexities of relationships without getting so granular you can’t relate to them, and they’re in sonic settings that let her gentle high-register voice shine. Some of the aforementioned sounds are there, though to my ears the rhythm section feels earthier, more like ’70s R&B. And there are some icy-cool elements that you might hear on a Cocteau Twins LP rather than one by Sade — “heaven or Nashvegas,” Noelle’s tag line, is appropriate.
In March, Noelle released a deluxe anniversary edition with four more tracks called Junegloom Neverending, followed by some great live-in-studio performances of the songs with a full band, filmed at local studio The Sanctuary. See “Junegloom” from that series at the top of this post, and find the rest on her YouTube channel.
Wednesday night, July 29, you’ve got a chance to experience this rich and thoughtful work in person when Noelle headlines at The East Room. The show begins at 8 p.m. and advance tickets are $12 plus fees. Nashville expat Kaycie Satterfield is supporting, bringing some all-new material, along with theatrically inclined Music City pop queen Vivienne Blue.
