A Wigwam for a Goose's Bridle

Do you remember the day you first heard of Taylor Swift? For me, the Love Story began on a Tuesday in February 2009. I close my eyes and the flashback starts. Driving in my car with the windows down (my first car didn’t have air conditioning), radio blaring, a voice I’d never heard before told me “it’s a love story, baby just say yes” so I did. When I went home and looked her up on iTunes, I immediately purchased both the Fearless album and her first, the self-titled album, all off the back of hearing just one song. Overnight, I was hooked.

Yesterday’s album release – Fearless (Taylor’s Version) – has been an unprecedented experience. Unable to purchase her original masters (that’s a rant for another day), Taylor has opted to start re-recording new versions. The results is an album that is both uncannily 2008 all over again, but also mature and crisp, benefiting from her experience as well as technological improvements. The album is 27 glorious songs, the original 13 plus the bonus and other special tracks and 6 tracks that never expected to see the light of day.

How wonderful and eerie it is to listen to a new album already knowing almost all the words (vault tracks aside), to feel the nostalgic intimacy of meeting your old best friend after some time apart, and yet for it to still feel new. If the songs alone, and your knowledge of Taylor’s journey are not enough to make you emotional (well then we need to talk..) check out the accompanying lyric videos on YouTube.

Fifteen, documenting the beautiful friendship Taylor still has with the “redhead named Abigail” and The Best Day, an homage to dear Mama (Andrea) Swift, are sure to get your tears flowing.

The new offerings from the vault are perfect. They are every bit original country Taylor, making me feel like I’ve known them all along.

As she predicted back then, these things will change. Walls that were put up to hold her back fall down.

The fact the remains, the original versions should not be stolen lullabies, they should be hers. But what an incredible opportunity to come back 13 years later and redo the country album of the year.