Iceburn

Black Taj (2008) Beyonder

Black Taj's second full-length, Beyonder, considers again how to make classic rock sound new. Beyonder also answers any lingering questions surrounding Black Taj's rock pedigree. Black Taj's ability to negotiate a variety of classic rock styles, the genres and conventions that form the foundation for so much of the music of the late 1960s and early 1970s, evidences the musicianship that fans of Polvo and Idyll Swords are already well familiar.

"Move Me," "Cold Comfort" and "L.A. Shift" are the clearest indicators Black Taj has yet provided of Popson and Brylawski's shared past in Polvo. "Fresh Air Traverse" and "Only for a Moment" sound like Disraeli Gears-era Cream-when Clapton's vocals were at their most affected and polyrhythmic exchanges between guitar and Ginger Baker's kinetic percussion recalled the psych-prog experimentation of their art rock contemporaries in Soft Machine. "Cold Comfort" and "Little Child/Idyll Hill" offer examples of Black Taj's most brutal live jams, as does the direct-to-tape version of "Spacewash" included here.

Artist: Black Taj
Title: Beyonder
Label: Amish Records - AMI 029
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2008
Genre: Post Rock
Style: Post Rock, Indie Rock

Songs:
1 Move Me [4:51]
2 Fresh Air Traverse [5:14]
3 Cold Comfort [6:14]
4 Damascus [3:43]
5 Spacewash [1:42]
6 Only For a Moment [3:41]
7 L.A. Shift [3:31]
8 Little Child / Idyll Hill [5:05]

Black Taj are:
Thomas Atherton : Drums
Dave Brylawski : Guitar, Vocals
Grant Tennille : Guitar
Steve Popson : Bass Guitar

Credits:
Recorded by Brian Quast (track 4), Nick Petersen (tracks: 1-3, 5-8)

Notes:
Some members of Black Taj are Polvo

Black Taj (2008) Beyonder