Last year, L4LM featured a young up and coming instrumental band, TAUK,  that really struck a chord with us. At the time, the foursome was already on fire, blazing down a path of success that had them opening for such acts as Robert Randolph & The Family Band, moe., 311, and Teal Leaf Green. The foursome from Long Island have their own unique blend of jazz, rock, and funk that combine to deliver compositions and improvisation that is both experimental and extremely cohesive. A heavy touring schedule in 2012 had the band closing out the year on the road with Perpetual Groove and performing at the peak of their musicianship. With a new year comes new endeavors, and for TAUK that meant a commitment to hitting the studio. The result is a brand new full length album to follow up their debut EP Pull Factors. Entitled Homunculus, the album is a perfect embodiment of the talent and infectious groove that the band has already characterized themselves by on stage.
Upon digging into Homunculus, you’ll find that the initial track, Dead Signal, is anything but a reflection on its title. The listener is immediately grabbed by an upbeat groove that will have you bobbing your head and playing your knees like a drum kit. High energy riffs and complex guitar work forewarn that this album will be a showcase of the undeniable talent of guitarist Matt Jalbert. Bassist Charlie Dolan’s prowess is evident on the subsequent  track, Afro Tonic, a baseline dominant song which plays like a series of sweeping melodic breakdowns. Here, and through the next two tracks on the album the tempo is considerably lighter. Hello Narwhal seems almost the perfect background track to a blissful sunrise after a night raging live music. The Spot has a darker almost No Quarter-esque feel to it before we are treated to outstanding Jazz piano work from A.C. Carter halfway through the track. The Chemist and Carpentino’s Rebirth are high energy, fun tracks with super catchy hooks. They also show off a bit of that experimental side I was referring to earlier. In fact, all throughout this album you can hear elements of electronic and synth influence. At certain moments, tracks can sound downright spacey. The sound is often unique and definitely original.
In When In Doubt, as with most tracks on the album, drummer Isaac Teel provides outstanding drum work. Dolan and Teel’s bass lines are literally the backbone of the album.  Wrapping things up is my personal favorite offering from Homonculus. Titled In The Basement of The Alamo, the song clearly references the movie classic Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. The song has an amazing energy. It combines all the elements you find spread among the tracks that precede it. Outstanding Drum lines and guitar work with spacey keyboards make for a powerful statement.
When it comes to music that is entirely instrumental, it is more of a challenge to give the audience a melody or hook they can latch onto. If the music fails at doing so then all of the songs sound the same and might as well be playing in the elevator of your apartment building. With Homonculus, TAUK has produced something that fans will be humming in their head well after the album has stopped playing. The studio effort is just as good as the talent and musicianship we have seen from the band in the live setting.
L4LM is proud to be throwing TAUK’s Album Release Party at NYC’s Sullivan Hall on Wednesday, April 24th. Please join us and see what this band and this album is all about. You do not want to miss it!
Show Info
Band/s:Â TAUK (Opener to be announced)
Date:Â Â Â Â Â Wednesay, April 24th
Venue:Â Â Â Sullivan Hall
Tickets: This is an 18+ event. $12adv/$15dos Get your tickets here!