T.A.P - Paradigms II

When the talented trio of Jobborn, Cook, and James are joined by Bill Bachman (Herd of Instinct and Spoke of Shadows), and have collaborators with the pedigree of Bonino, Ellett, and Pieretti, amongst others (full list below), every right-minded progressive rock fan should be salivating.

You will see on this page a link taking you to my review of the debut album, Paradigms, now three years old. The promise shown by that has been more than fully realised by the second album bearing that name, released this past month.

Eight brand-new tracks, on an album lasting just over an hour, and again featuring as diverse a set of sounds and influences one could wish for. Before we discuss, let’s look at a trailer released by the band.

We kick off with Galaxy Unknown, and it all fits musically like a glove from the off, the organ and synths combining with the finest Warr guitarist on the planet, a rhythm section creating funk melodies, guitars which range from the bright to the dense, this whole track an exploration of space in itself. This is, I think, about as good an exploration of how to be technically proficient whilst retaining a sense of melody at core.

A Beacon of Light features bluesman Chris Gill on guitar and Chris Messina on synths, and this is the first of three epic tracks on the album – I told you progheads you were in for a treat! The opening passage is beautifully pastoral, as gentle and loving as it is possible to get, the guitar haunting, and I take this gorgeous passage as representing musically the truth that what we listen to, the camaraderie between musicians, friends, and the whole progressive community, serves as a beacon in strange, disturbing, troubled times. We must never lose hope. There is so much to cherish, and this band are one of them, and as I listen to the lush soundscapes created by the synths over a bass so melodious, then Suzi developing the hope with her violin, the guitar solo washing over me, clever use of guitar synth, an ambient electronic delight fused with that bright guitar as we look forward, and a bassline that simply rolls on and on, with then a masterclass in how modern blues music should be played. This must be a serious contender for “epic of the year” on this website’s annual awards. Stunning music, full of hope, feeling, melody, a staggering number of influences and ways of thinking/playing, all performed with musicianship of the highest order, and the dreamy sequence at the end just has you filled with longing.

We have official music videos for the next two tracks, and they are embedded below these words. A Dramatic Interlude has Cook expressing himself in the only way he knows how on the bass, and we get more blues-infused guitar work in a solo which is so impressive, before an electric piano riff Mr Davies would have been proud of, effects, grooves, and a general feeling that this is perfectly named – not merely an interlude, but something packed with far bigger a punch, the closing gorgeous guitar work taking a massive Crimson bow towards the sunset.

A Hole in the Ground is this band’s first vocal track, and these are provided by Steve Bonino, who requires little introduction to visitors to this website. Is this our end? People standing around a hole in the ground, or is there something awaiting the soul, unseen by those standing? This is blues rock wrought large, an expression of the ultimate destination of us all, together with the thoughts, fears, and feelings of those left behind standing. The guitar work on this is superb, every single note wrung out of sheer emotion, below, the rhythm section sensitively pushing it along without ever destroying the mood. Simply incredible, and yet another contender for me of “track of 2026”.

Our second epic is 4th Dimensional Waves, and, put brutally simply, any piece of music which features Gayle Ellett demands attention and respect, an outstanding musician. There is so much going on here. An extended guitar set of riffs Mr Blackmore would have been proud to call his own, about as expressive a bassline as one could hope to listen to (the instrument is almost dancing by itself in parts), the percussion perfectly complex in its understated perfection, funk waves washing over us with a playful piano, and halfway through we get a burst of synth heaven taking us back to those glory days when the keys threatened to destroy forever the guitar – remember all those albums at the time which stated, boldly, “no guitars!”. This track never bursts out of the traps. Instead, it is the epitome of the slow burner, something which demands attention throughout, cinematic and far-reaching, with more than a sense of menace as it builds to its conclusion, the bogeyman creeping up behind you, this leaving us as the soulful acoustic guitar leads the final charge.

Lyrical Paradox is a good title, especially for a song which has no words. Self-contradictory, indeed. Gayle again appears, alongside one of my favourite modern musicians, Massimo Pieretti who adds some layered piano and synth work. The pastoral elements of this, with Gayle’s mellotron rising into the sky, are soaring, but there is also a darker undertone to the track, the guitar solo inherently emotional when it cries to us. Never anything less than fascinating, like its parent album, it is impossible to categorise.

Outlooks of the Closed-Minded is another great title, and with so many closed-minded individuals in this troubled world of ours, there is plenty to take aim at. This is essentially a classy fusion track, the guitars, bass, and percussion adding such deep grooves, Suzi especially shining on her fretwork and violin. The piano when it enters adds further depth, and the close is pretty and bright, the violin and guitar solo taking us beyond those who refuse to think.

We close with the epic Wishful Solitude, Gill returning on guitar, alongside Tenk van Dool on mandolin and guitar. I would be curious to learn how many takes this wonderful piece of music took to lay down, because, to me, it has the feel of a group of musicians simply swapping ideas, improvising around them, laying everything down, and simply taking the bits that fit together in the context of the album, rather like how bands used to record back in the days of multi-track studios before the digital revolution. As with all quality musicians with at least a sensitivity to jazz, it works so well, and when Suzi enters on the flute, you are transported to a perfect pastoral and jazz mix before it is all change with a darker feel, synths, guitar, bass/drums creating an altogether lonelier soundscape, the solitude wished for in the title created, the protagonist free to explore the infinity of his inner mind in any manner he wishes, be it with a celestial organ, complex mandolin, bass melodious and urgent, electric guitar reaching forever upwards, the whole piece questing, refusing to be pigeonholed by anything as simple and injudicious as a “sub-genre” of prog, so true progressive music.

I loved T.A.P’s debut. This has taken the project to a whole other level. A definite favourite of 2026 for me, and highly recommended for you.

Purchase digitally at: https://tapprog1.bandcamp.com/album/paradigms-ii-24-bit-hi-res

CD at: https://essentials.progrock.com/product/t-a-p-paradigms/

Website: https://www.t-a-p-prog.com/

My review of Paradigms: https://lazland.org/album-reviews-2023-part-the-second/tap-paradigms