Taylor Robert’s Brighter Day Glows with Grit, Grace & Soul
- Stevie Connor
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
Photo Credit: Darin Back
When an artist decides to strip it all back — no frills, no filters, just truth — the result can either crumble under its own weight or soar with something far more powerful than polish. In the case of Brighter Day, Taylor Robert’s latest full-length release, it’s the latter. What we hear is a seasoned artist choosing vulnerability over perfection, substance over style, and soul over everything.
Taylor Robert is no stranger to the stage or studio. Having toured nationally as both a solo artist and with various bands, he’s carved out a sound that fuses his love of rock, soul, and storytelling. Along the way, he's worked with revered Minnesota names like Michael Bland (Prince, Soul Asylum) and Ryan Liestman (Jonas Brothers), but Brighter Day marks a different chapter — one where he takes complete creative control. Written, produced, and recorded entirely on his own terms at Roll N Soul Studio in Maple Grove, MN, this album is as personal as it gets.
Born out of heartbreak — specifically, the end of a 13-year relationship and marriage — Brighter Day is Robert’s way of sorting through the emotional wreckage. The album is not a diary, though. It’s a declaration. A document of resilience. A roadmap back to joy.
The title track, Brighter Day, sets the tone: a candid exploration of mental health and hope from the perspective of an artist living with bipolar disorder. It’s a standout not just because of the lyrical depth, but because of the way it balances weight and lift — capturing the turbulent inner landscape with clarity, empathy, and faith in the sunrise after the storm.
Another highlight, Long Time Comin’, featuring Minneapolis R&B vocalist Dario Perkins (aka Mr. DP), taps into Robert’s self-coined “Roll N Soul” sound — a simmering, groove-laced meditation on what it means to finally embrace your most authentic self after years of trying to fit someone else’s mold. The repetition in the lyrics feels intentional, almost mantra-like, echoing the album’s deeper themes of self-acceptance and renewal.
Not every track aims to dig so deep — and that’s part of the charm. A song like Jeep Truck offers a tongue-in-cheek, countrified breather from the emotional heavy lifting, playfully recounting the joy of buying your dream vehicle. It’s a wink to the listener and a reminder that levity, too, has its place in healing.
What makes Brighter Day compelling isn’t just the songwriting — it’s the sense that you’re listening to an artist who has nothing left to hide. Robert’s fingerprints are all over this record, from the instrumentation (he performs lead vocals, guitars, piano, and more) to the production and mixing. Backed by a stellar crew of local musicians — including Joe Savage on dobro and harmonica, Kevin Gastonguay and Brian Ziemniak on Hammond B3, and Jay Corkran on drums — the album hums with a warmth and texture that’s both intimate and expansive.
In a world of algorithm-driven singles and overproduced hooks, Brighter Day is refreshingly human. It doesn’t ask for attention — it earns it, track by track. For anyone who’s weathered a personal storm, Taylor Robert’s music isn’t just relatable — it’s restorative.
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Previous Release: Premiered May 5, 2024. Official Music Video for "Man on a Mission" written and produced by Taylor Robert. Footage and Direction by Darin Back. Filmed at St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN.