The blissful, bubbly sound of Margo Guryan’s voice is meant to be heard while drinking an iced matcha, enjoying the first slivers of spring. Her unique jazz-pop style and friendship with Elton John are two details that perfectly encapsulate her life. With her husband David Rosner, who worked for the label that signed John, Guryan was involved in the birth of John’s career at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1970. Contrasting John’s globally-recognized name, Guryan led a quiet career distanced from live performances and touring, harming the commercial success of her only solo album, “Take A Picture.”
Though Guryan passed away in November 2021, the Numero Group, an archival record label, has continued to publish her music. So far, these posthumous works include two 2024 releases — an extended collection of her work, “Words and Music,” published by Numero Group, and a tribute album, “Like Someone I Know: A Celebration of Margo Guryan,” published by Dartmoor Music. Many of these compilations include songs from Guryan that were never previously released. As of this month, “28 Demos” joins this collection.
Recurring mentions of Sunday mornings, utter enamoredness and dancing set the scene for the light pop tone that prevails throughout Guryan’s demos. This is best exemplified in the second track, “Something’s Wrong with the Morning.” The song, with its jazz-like opening, was present in a playlist of mine years ago — and its reissue reunites me with old memories. Guided by her soothing backing vocals — “oohs” and “aahs” that scream ’60s pop — and a fun piano accompaniment, she introduces themes of yearning and longing. As she sings “Something’s wrong with the morning / He never called to say hello,” her voice, which sounds like a calm summer morning, guides listeners through a journey of early morning despair.
Flooded with such yearning was the quietness of “Think of Rain.” The tune first appeared in her original album, during which Guryan pleads with a partner that “If you should think of leavin’ me / Think of rain / And think of yesterday again.” This wishful ballad takes a less energetic approach to conveying her longing. Across the collection, Guryan connects these feelings of yearning with the idea of nostalgia over a past relationship as seen in the song “Thoughts,” as well as unreciprocated adoration in “I Ought to Stay Away From You” and “Why Do I Cry.”
After “Think of Rain” comes “Sun,” which perfectly contrasts its melancholy predecessor. The way that the song opens with the flute, seamlessly transitioning to her light voice, just makes my heart happy. In this hopeful song, Guryan sings, “Doesn’t everyone / Have a little pain from time to time / Now it’s time for the sun to shine.” It showcases the lightheartedness of her music, a dynamic that carries through most of the demos.
“Most of My Life,” a romantic lullaby in which Guryan sings of her profound appreciation for having found her partner, is one of many tracks adorned with lyrics of admiration for and fascination about someone. I can imagine the love she describes in writing: “And now it seems I’ve loved you most of my life / And I don’t want to lose you ever again.” Accompanied by a quiet guitar and spirited piano, the tranquil melody and vulnerable vocals beautifully convey a sense of devotion.
More recently spotlighted by Clairo’s 2024 tribute cover, “Love Songs” tells a different story of romance than the title might imply. She explains that, “I knew / All the love songs / Once upon a time he sang them / To me.” Another original from “Take a Picture,” this demo’s enchanting sound couldn’t help but remind me of The Beach Boys’ classic, “God Only Knows,” despite their strikingly different messages.
An outlier amongst all of this talk of love is the politically critical track, “The Hum.” Though Guryan’s dreamy humming could lead this to be mistaken for a joyful song, a lyrical observation will reveal her not-so-cheery message. Recorded in 1972 and said to be about the Watergate scandal, this song’s eerie relevance to today made me double-check the recording date and question Guryan’s time-traveling abilities. In singing that the “The prices rise and the Market falls / The trucks go slow and the Congress stalls / The V.P. left with the dough he took / And the P. tells the world he’s not a crook,” Guryan has created a timeless piece of witty political commentary.
Despite this lengthy collection of demos, the album is merely 70 minutes long, with each track around two minutes long. “28 Demos” consists of soft rock ballads that paint her various muses and is a serene reassembly of her work that should serve as a catalyst for the singer’s resurgence. Her spring-sounding voice takes listeners under the felicity of her musical umbrella and is the ideal lead into summer.
Contact Eva Mundo at [email protected].