9.03.2014

#reviewoftheweek / Tauk - Homunculus & Collisions

Tauk's two most recent albums are like part one and part two of the same album. They flow right into each other and can almost be mixed up and played interchangeably, which surely makes for exciting live shows. On the first album "Homunculus" (released in 2013) the bookends of the album are the standout tracks. Both "Dead Signal" and "In The Basement Of The Alamo" showcase the best of their instrumental/lyric-free prog rock that floats right between alternative and jam band music. Both albums are incredibly guitar driven, and in many cases sound like a string of awesome guitar solos. On "Collisions" (released in 2014) the standout tracks are "Mindshift" and "Sweet Revenge" and showcase the band's ability to make vocal free songs sound like radio-ready singles. Much like electronic music, Tauk's instrumentation is driven by rhythm and intricacy, and should wow fans of many different genres. Both albums were recorded in Jack Johnson's Solar Powered Plastic Plant studios, further adding to the organic and creative juices flowing through the album. While mass media and pop and rock radio may never play the songs from these albums, Tauk has solidified themselves as a live music force to be reckoned with.