James & Paul bring the past to life with such resplendent vibrancy on Tabula Rasa. The delightful classic rock record had me reminiscing to the great rock albums I’ve grown up on from the 80s and late 70s. Loaded with luscious synth work, powerful riffs, and anthemic choruses, each song feels like an experience meant for the stadium. There’s a larger than life energy that pervades across the entire record, keeping you entirely hooked to the record’s balanced mixture of upbeat rhythmic tracks and slow moody ones.
The powerful opening tracks, Modern Romance and Blinded have you energised and enthralled with what’s to come. Then, on Solitude, the energy and tempo take two, three steps back. The acoustic driven melody with a more morose sounding topical element builds slowly but with a fervour that crescendos into a delightful final minute that brings it all together in a triumphant chorus. The songs also delve into the more conceptual and storytelling themed spaces like on WAYCA, which is based on the Bonnie & Clyde story and what could have been if Clyde’s early life had gone a different way.
But what ties Tabula Rasa together is a clear and wonderful penchant for storytelling and sonic melodies that James & Paul are able to deliver with such seamless ease. There’s not a single song on the record that feels dull or boring. Consistently bringing to life such momentous melodic pieces that can move from absolute restraint to complete opulence makes for a wonderful collaboration that’s truly going to move a rock fan.