Taynee Lord EP “Pretty Promises” Review

You are catching me on a Friday evening, it’s 9pm and for various reasons the meal is not going to be ready for another hour. The only ones fed are the cats (or a catawailing would ensue) and the ones complaining are the teenagers! So, what better way to take my mind off needing food than to dip into the new EP by Taynee Lord?

We have covered Taynee a few times here at the magazine and when you enter her world you are entering the world of storytelling and country. She told us, “I feel all my songs have their own personalities.”

With that in mind I have a five track EP to share with you all. It was released on April 17, (today actually from the perspective of your reviewer on the sofa!) and it runs to just over 16 minutes..

“Pretty Promises” EP –

“T-Shirt”- sees Taynee telling us that she needs attention all day! She has my attention right now and she swings into the EP with this power chorus and some great country style. This is damn fine bad ass country music, you can wear this on a T-Shirt – and I’d say this track is for driving pleasure and country festivals in 2026, it has all that energy of a live performance bottled into 3.32 infectious minutes..

“Still Searching” has a slightly rockier beat (long ago Taynee was in a rock band!) and she adds a tale of the girl who is searching for her frog. It is performed with a beat in a smile, a jaunty beat and a story. It is a song that would happily slip into a rom-com movie soundtrack.

“Insane” I reviewed when it was released as a single. “Insane” is about wishing someone to change their self-sabotaging patterns in order to find love but realising they will always deflect and blame you as they’re too stuck in their ways to change. This song is for anyone who wants their ‘situationship’ to be more. I said at the time, that the song is a slight direction change, a little sadder and reflective in tone, more of a touch of late winter in the air. The melody is pleasing and the lyrics reflect the “crime that I was never heard.” It is how lost love can leave us insane. It’s a song that turns the dial down a touch, but I loved the little change in vocal delivery at 2.31 when she says “I suffered more than you.”

“Sign on the Dotted Line” was one of my favourites on the EP, a little firecracker of a track, plenty of attitude and beat. I also liked that back attitude ‘your dreams will be crushed like mine!’ I like the sass, it may be upbeat but it sticks in the knife nicely.

“Game of Chess” (I got a little press release for this one) telling me the track ‘is built around using the game as a metaphor for life, encouraging listeners to stop blaming circumstances, stand back, reassess, adapt before making their next move. It speaks to growth, self-awareness and playing the long game. With gritty energy and a reflective edge, Taynee Lord delivers a relatable reminder- we’re all players in our own lives and the next move is ours to make.’

“Life is a Game of Chess – we may lose but we reassess”….I agree, never judge till the endgame. This is very in the lane for Taynee’s sound. It’s a confident country song for summer, queen to back rank and endgame! It’s another one of those songs crying out for the festival stage.

In summary, I loved this. My favourite was “T-Shirt,” but every track here brings something to the party. Taynee Lord stands at the front of the new wave of British country music, armed with hooks, attitude and stories to tell. If summer needs a soundtrack, this EP just volunteered.

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You can stream music by Taynee Lord here