Cavalier King - The Sun Revolutions Review
Posted by Tim Johnson on 02.04.2006
Early candidate for Indie Album of the Year
Chris Taylor – Vocals/Guitar/Bass/Assorted instruments
One of the perks of being a music writer is being on a publicist list.
After a few reviews and several emails, I found myself on the receiving end of a couple of those. If you're not in the know, a publicist list gets you free music. Every couple weeks, I head out to the mailbox and pick up a new CD from a various PR agent (or in some cases, an unsolicited CD from a Swedish death metal band.)
When I received an advance copy of "The Sun Revolutions" by Cavalier King, I threw it on the pile with the rest and didn't give it much thought.
Then one night, I decided to separate the professional material, from the homemade efforts of 17 year old metal virtuosos. By default, I put the Cavalier King disc in my CD player and haven't taken it out since.
"Cavalier King" is the name of the alter-ego of Chris Taylor. Chris Taylor is a nomad artist and musician who recently established himself in New York City, and produced one of the finest independent recordings in recent memory.
"The Sun Revolutions" is a compilation of alternative rock music that roots itself in smooth melodies, controversial topics, and thought provoking lyrics. Taylor covers a broad spectrum of issues in 37 minutes; from the mundane existence of everyday life, to the emergence, and near self destruction of his alter-ego.
Taylor's lyrics are honest and heartfelt. This isn't an album of randomly arranged, substance free songs. The CD starts, "So it came out one day that I don't pray to virgin mothers," if that's any sort of indication.
At the same time, this isn't an album where you have to concentrate on the underlying meaning to appreciate it. Every song is radio friendly, and while the musical style is familiar, it doesn't emulate anyone.
The CD's sixth track, "The War is On" is probably the most traditional. It's a straight forward song about love and desire. It's also one of the best songs on a CD full of amazing material.
Taylor's musicianship and song structuring ability is excellent. The multi-layered tracking makes it hard to believe "The Sun Revolutions" is a solo effort. If that weren't enough, Taylor also did the artwork in the CD booklet.
Track List
1) Renegade
2) Sun Revolution
3) The Unprotected
4) Angels of Mars
5) Cavalier King
6) The War is On
7) Champagne and Cocaine
8) The Finest Hour
9) Sun Revolution Reprise
10) Victory
While it's impossible to reach perfection, Chris Taylor comes close with his first effort. The music is deep and meaningful, and there is not a filler track on the CD.
The album is set for release on February 7th, and can be purchased through online retailers such as Amazon.com. You can also preview some of the tracks at Taylor's "MySpace" profile, located here.
The 411: While it’s still early in 2006, the rest of the indie scene has their work cut out for them. “The Sun Revolutions” is one of the most sincere and addicting albums to hit the shelves in a long time. And it’s easily deserving of my highest rating to date.
