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TAPROOT ATLANTIC RECORDS  As Taproot's long awaited follow up to their debut release Gift, Welcome actually explores a lot of the same themes. Coping. The biggest thing I get from this album is that the things I feel or the things I'm going through, I'm not going through them alone. Stephen Richards and Taproot wear their emotions on their sleeves and the honesty of it is quite refreshing. It doesn't feel like they're trying to talk about things that they think we are going through because its clear they're going through it as well. You can actually hear their pain in the lyrics and vocals. Welcome is an emotional release, letting us know that we can get through it, that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. "Art," "Fault" and "Sumtimes" are stand out tracks. The songs are patterned on emotions; highs and lows, ups and downs, lifting you up and slamming you down, shaking you awake and knocking you back out. Richards vocals are crisp, clear and heavy and he makes you believe what he's saying. There are a couple of songs on the album that sidestep the familiarity of the genre. "Myself" and "Dreams" seem out of place only because they lack the structure of the other songs. They feel wobbly and teetering on collapse, making you feel a bit uncomfortable. Don't think that all this emotional crap means the album doesn't rock. Taproot will have you bouncing up and down faster then a kid on a pogo stick with "Poem" before letting the momentum build to a frenzy on "Mine" and "Time", melodic to rhythmic to mayhem. And all the while Richards' vocals will blast a hole right between your eyes. Taproot has done a great job of cleaning up their sound without becoming too fluffy and commercial. It'll be interesting to see if they can keep their edge as they continue to grow. review by anthony sciscioli |
