Rock Garden

King's X singer/guitarist Ty Tabor seems to always have an overabundance of original tunes that his full-time band won't ever get a chance to put its stamp on. That's where the beauty of solo albums comes in. As with his longtime King's X bandmates, Tabor has sporadically issued solo albums over the years, and 2006 saw the release of his fourth solo outing overall, Rock Garden. Sounding not that far removed from his King's X work, all the expected Tabor trademarks are present — John Lennon-esque vocals, riff rockers, reflective ballads, and plenty of great six-string work (Tabor remains one of hard rock's most overlooked/underrated guitarists). Producing and writing the entire record himself (and supplying nearly all the vocals and instruments — save the drums), Tabor kicks Rock Garden off with a bang, as "Ride" could have easily fit on a King's X release, while "Stalker" allegedly tells the autobiographical tale of when Tabor was stalked by a "fan." And following in the path of such King's X tracks as "Black the Sky," Tabor remains a sucker for mid-paced repetition, as evidenced by "Play." All in all, Rock Garden is Tabor's finest and most cohesive solo release yet.