Ta-Ku: Songs to Make Up To
Ta-Ku: Songs to Make Up To
A breakup is a very nasty and devastating event for any couple who has gone through one. I’ve also been there when it comes to my friends. It’s a completely defining moment for them; they either learn from that relationship, or it alters their persona and causes them to be on guard from that point on.
There was a time when two of my friends seemed like they were making up and spending more time together. My friend read me the messages where they both acknowledged having left things on a sour note, and they started to slowly pick things up where they left off. I always found the process of people deciding to give a relationship another chance to be interesting.
Ta-Ku’s Songs To Make Up To is probably the perfect soundtrack for that moment. It’s a chill, somber, promising, and hopeful piece of sound about a couple giving their love a second shot. Just listen to the opener “Hopeful”, which sounds like former lovers meeting up again, their emotions bubbling.
“Love Again” is the realization that, despite time apart and the heartbreak they endured, this couple cannot deny that they still love each other. Props to singer JMSN who croons on the track and makes the promise of making things work much better the second time. I also love the chill and hazy “Trust Me”. I can’t help but think of someone giving serious thought to totrusting their former flame again. You guard your heart after an intense breakup, and you want to make sure you can be open with this person like before.
If there is a dance number in this album, it’s “Fall4You”, and it’s definitely one of those “sway back and forth” songs. If you ever need a reason to remind yourself why you fell in love with the object of your affection in the first place, this is it.
I’m very astounded at how Ta-Ku perfectly captures what it feels like to go through the motions of giving your former partner another chance. I imagine it’s no small feat, and there’s a lot of thought and emotion when making that decision. “Can we make this work?; What if it just ends up worse than last time?; Am I really still in love with this person?; I want to give this a serious shot and own up to our relationship”. These seem to be serious feelings and of course, there is some hesitation and excitement.
Ta-Ku is currently one of music’s rising stars and it’s only going to get brighter. He has a very heavy J-Dilla influence and unique ambience to his sound. It literally sounds like flowers blossoming in real time. His music interestingly blends colorful sound that’s suited for radio but still has an independent quality. I’ve seen a few minutes of his Red Bull set and there’s an intimacy to his live shows and albums. It’s a brand new, emotionally exciting type of cool.
I guess everyone is different when it comes to finding out why their significant other is special. It can be a simple lunch, a conversation, ,or a random memory about the good times. Do you want to know what I think? Maybe it’s as simple as looking into their eyes…
