Musicians have it hard in today’s contemporary world. There’s so much stuff out there that it’s hard to find a unique sound, and even more difficult to stand out. Ta-ku doesn’t have that problem. He certainly has an evocative, distinct sound and Songs To Make Up To EP could be the right mesh of records that brings critical international acclaim for his talents.
Songs To Make Up To EP doesn’t fit into a particular genre (we don’t have a word for mixing elements of R&B, hip hop, electronic, and soul music). Some songs don’t have words. The titles of the songs actually matter. Major and minute details all differentiate the EP from most of today’s music. To top it off, the music production is off the charts. Every song sounds great even if you aren’t paying attention to the nuances, but those who enjoy the subtleties will be blown away by the asymmetry and diverse choices Ta-ku makes. What sound is coming next? You never know what it will be or when it’s coming, but it’s always taking you to a new place, the next progression of the EP’s story. In this way, listening to Songs To Make Up To EP is like attending a symphony. These are truly songs to make up to, and you experience the highs and lows with Ta-ku.
Songs To Make Up To EP’s current iteration features six songs (a seventh upcoming song is being wrapped up). “Hopeful,” the introductory track, conveys a lot without any vocals. We begin slowly, apologetically and reach a moment of clarity and determination midway through the track. The switch feels abrupt but naturally fits what the song is trying to make you feel, hope. “Love Again” is the first single to released from the EP.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI9X47eVM1c[/youtube]
The song is just a great combination of so many genres somehow meshing pianos, harmonies, a strong bass, and some other craziness. Ta-ku makes you feel like a teenager in puppy love all over again trying to convince your crush that taking a chance is worth the likely heartbreak. You can feel the desperation and sincerity, ill fated or not. “Love Again” ends much differently than it begins, uncertain but resolute. If “Trust Me” is a continuation of “Love Again,” the couple has hit their rough patch, and is grappling with how to deal with the next steps. The mood is almost sullen but it doesn’t feel like hope has been lost or deterred. Ta-Ku found the right sounds the express a state of reflection without any vocals, but somehow it doesn’t feel like something we’ve heard before. It’s incredibly effective and hard to explain. Just know it works.
“Long Time No See” feels like things didn’t work out somehow. A cautious piano starts us off, leading into soft whispers. Other instruments slowly chime in, asking for a chance to speak and then boom! Ta-ku hits you with the bass! There just aren’t a lot of people experimenting with their music to tell a story in this way. The composition is literally guiding you through the emotions. “Long Time No See” should be the go to song for any person trying to win their ex-bae back.
True story. My fiance stopped everything she was doing to soak in “Sunrise/Beautiful” when it first started. She was vibing beforehand with me, but we both looked at each other with the face. You know the one when something is so disgustingly good you halfway believe your senses.
This is a serious candidate for song of the summer. Ta-ku makes all this stuff sound like these combined elements from various genres have always melded easily, and we just never realized it before. “Sunrise/Beautiful” is the second song with vocals and they meld perfectly with the music’s sexy, triumphant tone. The couple has reconciled, sunrise has hit and all is right with the world. Halfway in, we switch to a slower pace as Ta-ku uses the hook sung by Pharrell on Snopp Dogg’s “Beautiful” to serenade listeners. All of a sudden we get bass and lots of it! We can guess where all that serenading led.
The final finished track is “Fall4You.” Ta-ku doesn’t rush the start. He lets us feel the music out again, a tragedy of some kind feels inevitable. Gears change a minute into the song and we see things are back off track. We can feel it in the words and the music, but somehow this track feels timid in comparison to the others. In the chorus he asks, “Is that what you wanted?” but his voice doesn’t convey the pain of the moment. The verses suffer from the same problem as the lyrics say a lot more about the situation than the vocals express. No one is going to confuse Kanye with a talented vocalist, but when he says powerful words, he struggles with them. They hurt to say. “Fall4You” is a good song but lacks the same punch the rest of Songs To Make Up To EP have because it feels timid and distant in comparison.
Overall, Songs To Make Up To EP is a must-listen for music enthusiasts and people who casually click around music streaming sties alike. Ta-ku is indisputably talented and Songs To Make Up To EP will get a lot of people out of love log jams in the near future. So remember, next time you get into a tiff with your significant other just make some dinner, dim the lights, and bump some Ta-ku. Things will be fine in no time. Just make sure you don’t get into a fight until the EP drops on June 12.