Posted on: January 23, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 1

TAB the Band – Pulling Out Just Enough To Win / 2007 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.tabtheband.com /

“Le Colonelle” is the first track on “Pulling Out Just Enough To Win”, and what results is something that generally follows the retro rock sound of acts like 38 Special and The Rolling Stones. The band plays to the current period at times, but it feels much more often as if TAB The Band are trying to fit in well with the music of the middle 1970s. “Secretary’s Day” follows up “Le Colonelle”, and the track shows TAB the Band as an act that can vary their sound enough to keep individuals interested in what they have to say, even if the songs on “Pulling Out Just Enough To Win” do not vary in regards to the influences tapped. “Secretary’s Day” is a track that shows the band as pulling together in a much more successful way than they had during “Le Colonelle”, which makes this LP all the strongest.

“Paid For By” is the third track on the disc, and continues with the same general approach that TAB the Band had taken previously. Perhaps the strongest part of “Pulling Out Just Enough” has to be the fact that the tracks all hover around the three minute mark. If the track seems to drag on at points, the band will soon jettison the sound present during the song for something significantly different (but as has been said, close enough to increase the cohesion of the album). What gets my attention has to be the track “The House of El Ron”, which really gives individuals a sense of how down and dirty that TAB the Band can really get. The sound that the band crafts during this track can be heard in more current-sounding acts, such as Fu Manchu and Monster Magnet, but it is not hard to notice that the band is still working within in the seventies-influenced sound that has been cultivated during the previous tracks.

Of all the of the tracks on “Pulling Out Just Enough”, I feel that “The House of El Ron” will be the one that gets TAB the Band the furthest up the charts. Whether it be the guitar work or the funkiness inserted into the track, everyone will find something that they like here. If you miss the day of stoner rock, TAB the Band has thrown together 11 killer tracks onto one album. I have a feeling that TAB the Band will be on the tongues of music mavens the world over sooner rather than later.

Top Tracks: The House of El Ron, CYT

Rating: 7.4/10

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