Five years after his last studio album, Ta-ku returns with his latest full-length release, Songs to Come Home To. Anyone paying attention to Australia’s lo-fi hip-hop scene over the last decade will undoubtedly have noticed a bit of a nomenclatural theme here. The Perth native’s latest project seems to be the next in a series of ‘Songs to …’ titles, with his previous two studio albums named Songs to Break Up to and Songs to Make Up to, respectively.
Albums aside, there was also the Songs to Experience immersive music installation at last year’s Perth Festival. The preceding albums’ titles appeared to indicate their places on a story timeline, but there was a musical progression, too. So, does Songs to Come Home to follow the same trend?
Interestingly, the album appears to open in reverse chronological order, starting with ‘The End’, a song that seemingly is mainly about dealing with the idea of death. What becomes immediately apparent is the use of soulful vocals layered over Ta-ku’s signature lo-fi instrumentals. Ta-ku makes good use of the piano, too, which adds to the emotion of the theme. There’s then a nice little interlude track, “Home,” that features a poem about how home is not necessarily a physical entity. Its combination with the opening song forms a well-considered introduction to what one might think is the album’s theme, home.
The theme, though, is the problem. This analysis might sound odd coming off the bat of the praise given to the theme’s introduction. So, what’s the issue? From the next track, “Smile”, through the following 18 tracks to the album’s end, the theme is virtually entirely centred on romance. While this might not be a surprise to some listeners, given that both Songs to Break Up to and Songs to Make Up to weren’t thematically different, it’s a little disappointing. There was an opportunity to explore new territory and push the lyrical boundaries a little. And it was all set up beautifully for it, too.
Songs to Come Home to relies a lot more on solid vocal performances than either Songs to Break Up to, or Songs to Make Up to does. There’s less gritty lo-fi instrumental material at play, too, showing at least more musical progression. Whether this is a good or bad thing will be solely up to individual listeners’ tastes. Much of the album comes across as sounding too commercial, though. That may be partly because of the shift towards a more soul R&B sound, which doesn’t feel integrated enough with Ta-ku’s familiar sound.
With that said, there are some stand-out tracks that are worth a good listen. “Way Out” is both wonderfully soulful and energetic. Ta-ku collaborated with Milan Ring for this song, and her powerful vocals help give it some muscle. This is especially evident as the track closes with an intense electric guitar cameo. “Through and Falling” is a slower song, but it creates a nice, dreamy atmosphere that makes it an easy listen.
“The Score” is packed full of groove, with an addictive bassline and lovely snare work. Then, “Lightning” changes things by adding a pop feel, giving off some more upbeat vibes. It’s catchy, too, particularly after a few listens. “Thinking of You” is the album’s penultimate track. It’s another dreamy affair that lets the listener float among the soaring strings and layered effects. The chorus is catchy, too.
Ultimately, while there are some solid tracks on Songs to Come Home to and many of the collaborations with contributing vocalists work well, its theme feels unimaginative to the point of being disappointing. Too many songs sound over-commercialised (the cheesy cover of A-ha’s “Take On Me” is a perfect example), and there isn’t enough variation on the theme, especially as it’s a 20-track record. There are only so many clichéd love songs you can fit on an album.
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