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SAFETY
I will say that generally I am not a huge fan of solo projects from band
members that feel that they need more of a 'creative' outlet for the
music. Most of the time I find these releases to be self indulgent, boring and
for the most part, a very half assed attempt at capitalizing on the solo
artists respective band. But then there are times when solo projects actually work
(i.e. Stone Sour, Jerry Cantrell, Geoff Tate) and give us a deeper look
into the artists soul. Such is the case with KING's X guitarist/vocalist
Ty Tabor. This being his second solo effort and following in a string of what
I think are some of the worst King's X CD's ever commited to tape (the awful
'Tapehead' and 'Please Come Home Mr. Bolbous', which were so below the
margin, I kept wondering as to what had happened to this once terrific
band) it's some of the best stuff he has written and produced in a while.
Tabor's second disc pretty much stays in the same vein as his debut 'Moonflower
Lane', with rich Beatlesque harmonies, lush acoustic guitar
orchestrations, and plenty of good guitar work to boot. 'Safety' boasts leaner production,
and the songs are generally mid tempo and a bit boring at times. But once
Tabor steps up, dusts off the fretboard and decides to pensome heartfelt
music, he is in a class all his own. The opening 'Tulip (Your Eyes)' is a
terrific hook laden pop gem and the song has a terrific chorus and bridge.
Tabor reminds me of John Lennon at times, and at other times a bit of
Elvis Costello rings through. Most of the songs are sad subject matter (he must
have been depressed to write some of this stuff), but for the most part
the album retains a even flow and tempermant. My biggest gripe is that some of
the songs are simply not that memorable. Sure they have the chimey
guitars, loose drums, Beatlesque harmonies and some decent guitar work, but after a
few listens, they simply don't stick. The true shining moment on the disc
is the album closer 'I Don't Mind'. A simply terrific, King's X styled,
mid-tempo ballad with a memorable chorus and some great guitar work to
match it. My only hope is that Tabor can rescue his band from the pits of
despair. Faith my friends, is all we can have in praying for the return of King's
X.
Thankfully, the new KING'S X disc, 'Black Like Sunday', is being released around April or May by Metal Blade. Have faith, friends.
-mgmt
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