The Movin' On is the second release from Portland, Oregon songwriter Taylor Kopp. This five song EP finds Kopp's signature sounds still intact - detailed guitar, thoughtful lyrics, and haunting voice - but with a fresh sonic palette fueled by lush production from Raymond Richards (Blitzen Trapper, Local Natives). In the studio, Kopp and Richards crafted a sound that is both ethereal and country (Richards lends his pedal steel chops throughout) to capture a ranging narrative bound together by the intimacy of each song. In Folded Paper the narrator leaves a farewell letter unread on the table until the last possible moment.  In Put Up A Fight an addict struggles to come to terms with the love he's lost and the lies he has told. Fresno is a dusty country waltz, both funny and heartbreaking, where the narrator meets a downtrodden old cowboy before handing him the microphone to tell his weary tale. 

As with Kopp's first album, Found, the lyrics and musicianship on The Movin' On show signs of serious talent.  The songs stand up to and sometimes demand repeated listening as Kopp's understated vocal delivery and clever phrasing leave some of his best gems waiting to be discovered.  "When the winter comes / I'm gonna need you / under that hidden sun / I'm gonna need you to need me too / cause when the days get small / you know how I can get / is there a point of it all / cause I ain't found it yet / my way back home I guess / home."  Verses like these, from the excellent opening track November Sunrise, flow by beautifully in a harmony between Kopp and fellow Portland artist Ezza Rose, almost as though they're no big deal.  But for those who take a little time, Kopp's songs are full of payoffs, both lyrical and musical.  

Now a father of two and several years removed from the family trauma and personal grief explored on his first album, Kopp zooms out a bit on The Movin' On and shifts his gaze to those around him. Yet Kopp handles his characters' hearts with the gentle care he would his own, so the listener remains whisper-close, along for the ride as they look for the road forward together. 

-- Alec Lassen