Taxiride: Garage Mahal

Three years between releases is a long time, and when your first CD goes double platinum in your home country, eager fans the world over want to know what comes next. Garage Mahal is that long awaited second act, and while the original quartet is now a trio, there is no drop in quality. If anything, the new record is a quantum leap forward in terms of sound and maturity.

While Imaginate served up a fresh creative take on traditional melodic harmonies (say Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) mixed with boy band sensibilities, the end result was light and sunny and fun, the musical equivalent of a summer’s day. Garage Mahal is heavier, and translates all that has happened to Jason Singh, Tim Watson, and Tim Wild since their “younger” days into a baker’s dozen of very exciting pop tunes.

It’s a very different world now, and that was made apparent to Taxiride as they took off toward Los Angeles to record this record on 11 September 2001. Midway across the Pacific, their plane was turned back toward New Zealand as U.S. airspace was closed. They eventually returned to L.A. and commenced work with the team of mixers Dave Way (Macy Gray) and Mike Shipley (India.arie, Andrew W.K., Cheap Trick), and producer Fred Maher (Matthew Sweet, Lloyd Cole) on what would become the new CD.

Still apparent is that these lads can write tightly crafted hook-laden melodic songs (they really have a great knack for inventive middle bridges too), and now they’ve incorporated other sounds as well (harder edged rock guitars, scratch effects from guest DJ Swamp). All told this is another solid collection from a maturing trio that should equal or exceed the success of their previous release.

“Afterglow” is a musical model of what mid-tempo radio pop should be, guitars and drums taking the fore with synth organs accompanying Taxiride’s ever-strong suit, those powerful and emotive vocals. The lyrics reflect the muddle of a relationship gone wrong, wavering between pushing someone out the door and being hurt by the lost chances and the realization that you needed them after all.

To be honest, almost any of these songs could work as a single. “How I Got This Way” (the album’s second single) is Taxiride dealing with the aftermath of perceived fame and not knowing how they got this way: “I have lost my way / You think I’ve changed, but I’m the same.” This is moodier than the fare of the first CD, packing emotional power and yet plenty infectious.

The first single was the perpetually catchy “Creepin’ up Slowly”. Here the lads trade on some scratch/electronic noises to enhance their song about trading dreams for love and the need for change. As always, the vocals (and backup harmonies) are inherently strong, and the middle bridge is as delightful a harmonic twenty seconds as you’re likely to hear. “Enemy” similarly uses scratch effects, along with strong bass lines.

“Forest for the Trees” is where you get a bit of the newer, harder Taxiride, the one enhanced by the efforts of additional musicians Andy McIvor and Sean McLeod. With guitars reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”, Taxiride delivers pleasant platitudes in a forceful way: “You’re craving physical attention / Make or break for a new seduction / You’re left here picking up the pieces / But only truth can set you free”. “Wait” is another of the more-rocking offerings here.

“Happiness without You” surprises with its more minor, Middle-Eastern flavored music. The maturity of this music gives it additional power. These lads aren’t afraid to try something new. “Stronger” is a very contemporary-sounding examination of the rules between friends, further proof that this is a harder-edged Taxiride than before.

From their start as a very creative “boy band” image, they have come quite a distance. Still, ballads driven by harmonies remain easy for these guys (“Skin”, “Afraid to Fly”, “This Time”), and the wonderful vocals could make any of them potential radio singles.

My favorite of this very strong bunch is the ultra-infectious “Saffron”. In this censure of the phony lures of gold and material things (exposed as nothing more than a “saffron lie”), the group really kicks it up a step energetically.

Taxiride throws in a bone to those who might be hankering for the simpler sounds of that sunny first album with the short, yet sweet closer “Madrigal”, effectively showing they still can do that, yet they’ve chosen to also move on. With strings and effects and a harder rocking sound, this well-produced sophomore effort is a more progressive and cohesive work, featuring more flavors and arrangements.

Taxiride’s journey is far from over, and the long awaited Garage Mahal proves that the musical meter still is running, harmonies and hooks clicking. The nicely packaged CD comes with some CD-ROM extras (a video, lyrics, etc.). This impressive release should bode well for the band’s future, perhaps getting them more exposure in the U.S. and U.K. markets (they do very well in Australia and Japan). Let’s just hope it won’t be so long before their next release.