Posted on: July 11, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Tab the Band start off their “Long Weekend” with “Backseat Love”. “Backseat Love” is an interesting type of track, which showcases a band that ostensibly is in the current period, but comes forth with a sound that links the angular sound of acts like Franz Ferdinand with a classic rock style that is reminiscent of Rick Derringer, older Aerosmith, and even Ted Nugent. “Looking Pretty, Pretty” continues with the sharp sound of acts like Queens of the Stone Age, while having the same heavy rock sound that first issued forth from Detroit in the early seventies. Beyond that, there are hints of a surf sound present in this driven, intense type of track.

The arrangements to a track like “Looking Pretty, Pretty” may not be the most intricate that individuals have ever heard, but the way in which the arrangements follow from each other will get listeners into the music that is on “Long Weekend”, no matter what type of music that that individual traditionally prefers. “Where She Was On Monday” is a much slower track that individuals are used to immediately after listening to the first few salvos on “Long Weekend”, but Tab the Band is able to imbue “Where She Was” with the same type of mystique that followed these earlier track. Despite the sunnier disposition of the band on this track, the lively interplay between the guitar, drums, and bass during this track show that the band is not playing.

Later tracks, like “My Baby Is Fine”, show that Tab the Band has no desire to sit on their laurels. “My Baby Is Fine” is further testament to the ability of each constituent band member to create a sound that, while current and drawing on current genres, has a large part that is simply in reverence to the rock genres first heard in the seventies. Tab the Band may not be the biggest thing yet, but their blend of retro styles in the linking of harder classic rock with earlier strains of folk rock will have listeners keeping “Long Weekend” in their players or on their iPods through the autumn and into the winter. So, if this sounds down your alley at all, make sure to pick up a copy of “Long Weekend” when it is released on 8/12, and make it a point to go and see Tab the Band live when they make it to your neighborhood.
Top Tracks: Heavy Idea, Skip Your Class

Rating: 8.0/10

Tab the Band – Long Weekend / 2008 North Street / 10 Tracks / http://www.tabtheband.com /

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