Welcome
Welcome moves Taproot towards a more melodic version of their heavy sound. The guitars still use low, clipped riffs, but Stephen Richards' singing and the darker harmonies give the second major-label album a different character. The change produces some effective songs. It also exposes how much the band still rely on familiar alternative-metal ideas, with an uneven sequence making the weaker material harder to overlook.
Mine provides a convincing start. The bass gives the verse a clear foundation, while sharper drums and echoing guitar leave room around Richards' quieter delivery. The arrangement has atmosphere as well as weight. It is a good example of the band allowing the individual instruments to contribute without filling every available space.
Poem makes a stronger immediate impression through its vocal melody. The heavier ending gives the song a forceful conclusion, but the hook remains the main reason it works. Taproot sound most assured when the melodic and physical parts of the arrangement have equally clear roles. The song keeps that balance more successfully than much of the album around it.
Art offers another useful variation. Its calmer melodic passage gives the music a different shape, while the rougher vocal details keep it connected to the heavier material. Myself also makes effective use of contrast, moving from a weighty introduction towards gentler singing before a heavier section interrupts the middle. Those changes give the songs moments worth returning to.
The instrumental sound is solid, with punchy drums and low guitar parts that can feel substantial without becoming complicated. The bass occasionally loses definition in the fuller mix. Richards' shifts between softer singing and harsher sounds add range, though the repeated vocal harmonies sometimes make different songs feel too closely related.
The larger problem is the flow. Changes in mood can feel abrupt, and stretches of the middle leave less of an individual impression. Welcome has several strong performances and a handful of good songs, but it struggles to turn them into a consistently engaging album. Taproot's more melodic direction is promising. The writing needs greater distinction and a better sense of sequence to make that promise fully convincing.
