King's X singer/guitarist
Ty Tabor seems to always have an overabundance of original tunes that his full-time band won't ever get a chance to put its stamp on. That's where the beauty of solo albums comes in. As with his longtime
King's X bandmates,
Tabor has sporadically issued solo albums over the years, and 2006 saw the release of his fourth solo outing overall,
Rock Garden. Sounding not that far removed from his
King's X work, all the expected
Tabor trademarks are present --
John Lennon-esque vocals, riff rockers, reflective ballads, and plenty of great six-string work (
Tabor remains one of hard rock's most overlooked/underrated guitarists). Producing and writing the entire record himself (and supplying nearly all the vocals and instruments -- save the drums),
Tabor kicks
Rock Garden off with a bang, as "Ride" could have easily fit on a
King's X release, while "Stalker" allegedly tells the autobiographical tale of when
Tabor was stalked by a "fan." And following in the path of such
King's X tracks as "Black the Sky,"
Tabor remains a sucker for mid-paced repetition, as evidenced by "Play." All in all,
Rock Garden is
Tabor's finest and most cohesive solo release yet.