Posted: September 14th, 2008
Contributed By: Nick

	Purchase @ Amazon.com Release Date: September 16, 2008 via Velvet Hammer
	Taproot is: Taproot is: Stephen Richards (Vocals) Mike DeWolf (Guitar) Phil Lipscomb (Bass) Jarrod Montague (Drums)

Overview: I still remember it like yesterday. It was on a Saturday night in February of 2000 (can’t quite recall the exact day). Instead of going to the local middle school dance that night, I stayed home, having had my heart crushed the day before by my first real girlfriend. I happened to be watching an MTV News Special, and one of the segments on the program was a short called “You Hear It First”, showcasing rising artists at the time. Highlighted on that fateful night was an Ann Arbor, Michigan rapcore group called Taproot, sheepishly introduced as “the band who fought with Fred Durst”, with the infamous answering machine message Mr. Bizkit left on the quartet’s answering machine being aired to the public. Drama aside, footage of Taproot rehearsing and playing live was shown, along with clips of demoed songs for their first record. I was immediately intoxicated by what I heard, so I followed the instructions of drummer Jarrod Montague, went to their website, called some 1-800 number, left my address at the beep, and waited for my complimentary demo cassette in the mail; days later, it came, as did one more teaser a few weeks later. I urged my parental units to pre-order ‘Gift‘ for me on CDNOW, and after pleading my case as to why I should be allowed to listen to this “Parental Advisory” album, they MasterCarded me a copy. ‘Gift‘ arrived on its release date, June 27, 2000, I popped it in, and the rest is history. More than 8 years and 3 albums later, Taproot is back in my life full swing with ‘Our Long Road Home‘, their latest offering since 2005’s ‘Blue-Sky Research‘ and their first post-Atlantic Records release. Request the first single “Wherever I Stand” at your local rock radio station and catch Taproot on tour this fall alongside Sevendust, Dear Enemy, and AllyriA.

The Good: You want a long road home? Ask Chance, Sassy, and Shadow from Homeward Bound-THAT was one longass trek back to their pad. On the new Taproot CD ‘Our Long Road Home‘, the band might not encounter any hungry lions or have to ford a raging river, but they sure do a stellar job at entertaining you in ways voiced-over animals never could. Blue skies quickly turn black and thunderous with the raving opening line of “The Path Less Taken”. The song is like a backdraft, because while it might retreat behind a brooding, inquisitive facade, you never know when that walloping riff and Stephen Richards’ maniacal screams will re-ignite in your face; the rampant, all out warfare of “The Path Less Taken” is certainly the best possible route Taproot could have taken to welcome themselves back. “Hands That Hold True” are ten quirky fingers of flow and progression, wrapped around the command of a luminous chorus. Richards sings through the music with heaps of conviction, sewing the song together with threads of earnestness and soul. The debut single from ‘Our Long Road Home‘ is “Wherever I Stand”, the perky, brisk, and ripened big brother of “Calling”, the band’s most recent lead track predecessor. “Wherever I Stand” is a solid pitch, selling the new Taproot as a zealous, yet patient band at the same time. With no time for you to prepare, “Take It” reaches back and delivers a bruising sucker-punch, racing through a pummeling introduction. Taproot contains the murderous energy of “Take It”, rationing it wisely to fuel the peppered gallops of the tune’s choruses; from a deadly start to a dashing finish, “Take It” is the quartet’s picturesque maturation of song. Feeding off its scared straight tactics, the chilling, borderline frightening verses of “It’s Natural” make you take notice, tuning you in to the song’s real message. “It’s Natural” poignantly chases the reality of growing old, the fateful words delivered with such a soothing and dignified understanding. “As One” is cute, a tenderhearted stargaze that really comes alive once the radiant glitter of its chorus shines and sparkles. The storyline of this high-spirited, high-ceiling tale is hoisted to another level, thanks to an up-tempo temperature of just the right degree. Zippy and alert, “Footprints” tickles you with a rustic and nostalgic appeal, all while remaining in sync with the song’s exploratory gait. Despite the smiley demeanor of the chorus, most of Mike DeWolf’s guitar work on “Footprints” is quite incisive, adding another unique angle to a track that has quickly won my heart. Speaking of hearts, Taproot spill theirs on the powerfully honest, candlelit love letter that is “Run To”, a selfless and charming declaration of head-over-heels love; “Run To” will surely get the band laid, once their partners quit sobbing from blissful content of course. After the celestial “Interlude” subsides, ‘Our Long Road Home‘ pulls in the driveway, arriving home with “Karmaway”. The cut’s secretive and hushed verses catapult into the hulky roar of its choruses, a steady and modest last stand. The final minute or so of “Karmaway” lives in the resounding stillness of its final note, allowing you to reflect and ponder your bountiful travel through ‘Our Long Road Home‘.

The Bad: I figured that being free from major label shackles would increase the amount of adrenaline in Taproot’s music, and “The Path Less Taken” and “Take It” wasted no time in validating my thesis. Aside from that pair, ‘Our Long Road Home‘ doesn’t really jive the way I thought it would, sadly delivering a much more crushing blow than both “The Path Less Taken” and “Take It”. On a track-by-track scale, two tunes really don’t do anything for me. Despite a strong dynamic showing, “Be the One” doesn’t do nearly enough of anything else to help its cause. The other stray bullet is “You’re Not Home Tonight”, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why Taproot decided to use arguably the weakest new song as the first taste of the new album. After hearing “You’re Not Home Tonight” back in March (and I know I’m not alone here), set low, low expectations for ‘Our Long Road Home‘, which, thankfully have been discarded now that the record has arrived; really though, using a ‘Blue-Sky Research‘ throwaway to pump up people for one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year was a real gaffe by Taproot.

Bottomline: October 2002: Taproot’s sophomore album ‘Welcome‘ arrives, shedding the band’s primitive, rapcore skin for a more stylish, intrepid rock suit en route to 400,000 plus in sales. 2006-2007: Taproot severs ties with longtime label Atlantic Records and begins the process of writing for a new album without any formal label support or funding. September 16, 2008: Taproot unveils ‘Our Long Road Home‘, the fourth fruit of their labors and an album that shows an impressive amount of balance, poise, and maturity. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today, ‘Our Long Road Home‘ is a gift.

Rating: 8 out of 10