The originator of grunge is back with an all new solo venture. Ty Tabor of King’s X has thrown himself into yet another great record. This time around he’s exploring the more pop side of the Tabor/King’s X spectrum. There’s still plenty of moody, dark tropes throughout. But the album as a whole focuses on harmonies, melodies and atmospheric sounds. As opposed to the last album ‘Alien Beans.’
Not to worry. There’s still plenty of hard rock excellence from this songwriting master. It’s just used to more ambience this time than others. ‘Sister Genocide’ is a prime example. Heavy, in the pocket. Yet maintaining melody and strong vocal progressions. Not to mention a killer guitar solo that takes Ty Tabor beyond levels of his peers. Remember, this is the guy who created what ended up creating grunge. And ‘Sister Genocide’ is a perfect representation of that side of his sound. ‘Best Day in a While’ and ‘One Drop of Water’ also take on the mellow, dark mood of the ballads provided on the record. ‘Your Fantasy’ is also in the same vein. But with a little touch of brightness. All strong, all quality.
The yearning, pop urgency of the opening track ‘Come Home’ is apparent. Befitting of albums like ‘Safety’ and King’s X’s ‘Ear Candy.’ Both of which are massively overlooked gems. ‘Shallow’ and ‘Your Fantasy’ ring of 90’s alternative excellence. ‘What You’re Thinking’ sounds straight out of the ‘American Pie’ playbook. As is the album closer ‘Leaves Falling Down.’ Strong harmonies and melodies throughout. Which again brings up the question of ‘how can this artist be so overlooked?’ And while the album mostly focuses on 90’s alt rock and melody. Ty does take the time to put in some heavy rockers as well. ‘Insane’ has a really cool, syncopated verse going on. Giving the album some progressive elements. ‘Political Nonsense,’ a bonus track, has some killer throw down power chords.
All in all, ‘Shades’ is a great representation of the pop side of the Ty Tabor wheelhouse. If you’re looking for something like ‘Alien Beans,’ the last record, where the songs revolve around a main riff, you won’t really find it here. This record is much more atmospheric with textures and picked apart chords. Combine that with a little darkness and plenty of classic Tabor vocals and you’ve got ‘Shades.’ One of the more solid representations of the man’s softer edge. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
