REVIEW: Tal Bachman, Tal Bachman (Columbia)
- Michael Van Gorden
The most appearling element of POP music? It's all right to wear your influences on your sleeve. Those that do it poorly tend to be nothing more than a pale imitation. And those that do it well are a pleasure to listen too.
Tal Bachman falls into the latter category....thankfully. The easy influences to spot are of course the Beatles, Kinks, XTC, Beach Boys, and the Guess Who (Tal's father is Randy Bachman - Guess Who alumni, and the B in BTO). A more recent comparison might be Adam Schmitt and A man called E (before he added another e, an l and an s).
The CD starts off with the one two punch of "Darker Side of Blue", a "Cheap Trick covers the Kinks" kind of song, while listening to a little ELO. This is quickly followed by the second hit of "She's So High", a great rumination on that unattainable beauty we have all dreamed about. "She's as perfect as she can be, why should I even bother" is a great lyric that is followed up by the chorus that won't go away ("she's so high, high above me, she's so lovely").
After this perfect start, Tal decides to slow things down on the lovely ballad "If You Sleep", a song about contemplating the fate of a loved one. His voice effortlessly floats from a sweet falsetto to an anguished cry for help in the chorus: "If you Sleep, you Sleep With God".
Tal Bachman takes you on a emotional roller coaster as well, with the moody "Strong Enough", where he questions the safety of an obsessed imagination by asking his lover 'Are you strong enough to love me?' Then there is the soft romantic "Beside You", which echoes the Beatles circa "I will" and "Julia" from The Beatles (White Album).
On "You Don't Know What It's Like", you hear the unmistakable sound of Bowie and Marc Bolan as the raunchy guitars and sing-along chorus reel you in to this pop delight. And yet Tal Bachman is not just a about pop hooks. His words are simple, effective and intelligent. Sample this line from "Romanticide": 'Whoever said to take it on the chin, whoever said that good guys always, has never seen the sorry state I'm in, the victim of Romantacide again.'
The listener will find pop gems all over Tal Bachman, full of unforgettable melodies, elegant and often regal arrangements, beautiful vocals and lyrical wonders. In a recent interview, Tal said that he has devoted his life to the study and practice and perfection of a musical ideal. Those studies have paid off ten-fold. And, despite all the influences, Bachman has staked out a personal style that is his alone and will hopefully attract many pop lovers for years to come.
