Rating: 4/5 stars

I was introduced to Maria Taylor a while back. When I heard her first album, 11:11, it was this gradual attraction that just seemed to grow every time I listened to it. You’ve probably heard one of her songs off the Grey’s Anatomy show and album, Song Beneath the Song. It’s good, right? I know.

Now she’s out with her sophomore album, Lynn Teeter Flower, and it’s more of the first: an entire CD that has the ability to calm your nerves when you’re feeling a little tense. This is the type of music I would play while I’m taking a shower. (I don’t sing in the shower, but I do listen to music when I can.) It’s a great listen when you’re walking to class in the morning, and you’re not awake enough to listen to something too upbeat.

I was a little nervous to listen to this CD. If it wasn’t as good as her first album, I was afraid that I wouldn’t like Taylor as much as I did before. But she did well. Sans the last song, which is sung by a child, Lynn Teeter Flower is just as relaxing as 11:11.

“I finally made it / I made a clean getaway,” she sings on the second track, “And I miss you / I miss you every single day.” “Clean Getaway” is a simple song, a serene voice singing along a guitar, nothing out of the ordinary for this singer-songwriter.

I don’t even know the lyrics, but if I did, I’d sing “Replay.” The piano in the background goes along perfectly with the percussion. It’s the most lighthearted and fun song on the album.

“Irish Goodbye” is quicker one, compared to the rest. The segments of spoken word are surprising, but it’s a welcome addition to Taylor’s sound.

Track 9, “The Ballad of Sean Foley,” is the one song that many other music reviewers have named as the highlight of the CD. It’s a duet with Conor Oberst of the band Bright Eyes, though you’ll find that her voice is much more distinct than his. In my opinion, Oberst’s singing is more of a reflection of Taylor’s.

Really, the only complaint I have is that it’s a little short–the whole disk runs 38 minutes. For a CD that you like, having four out of 11 songs that don’t even reach the three-minute mark are far too many. I suppose it’s just lucky for me that my favorite song is the longest one on the album.

Her voice is sugary sweet; it’s like a daydream. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to replay “Replay.”

Standout Songs:
“Replay”
“The Ballad of Sean Foley”

Listen to the entire CD at:
music.aol.com/artist/maria-taylor

For touring information:
myspace.com/mariataylor
saddle-creek.com