The first round of the dc Talk solo era has begun with Empty, the debut project from Michael Tait's new rock band, Tait. Tait features some talented musicians, including Lonnie Chapin and his brother Chad Chapin on bass and drums, as well as guitarist Pete Stewart, a former solo artist and Grammatrain member. The Chapins give solid performances on Empty, and while Stewart plays very well, he does not create any particularly great guitar solos, which is a minor flaw on this album, but not a total disaster.
The first song, "Alibi", is a guitar-heavy rocker, and Michael Tait's vocals complement Stewart's guitars nicely. "Loss For Words" is an enthralling song that pulls you right in. The pop/rock melodies and heartfelt lyrics make this a personal favorite. "Bonded" showcases Tait's classic rock influences, while the first radio single, "All You Got" has memorable lyrics and soulful vocals. Other album highlights include "Spy", which begins as a James Bond spoof and builds into a heavy modern rock song, and "Unglued", a beautiful piano song which features Michael W. Smith tickling the ivories.
The songs on Empty were all co-written by Michael Tait, and some of his collaborators include Larry Norman, Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max and the other members of Tait. The lyrics cover subjects ranging from suspicion ("Spy"), racism ("American Tragedy"), and the loss of loved ones ("Unglued").
Although Empty is not really novel or original, everything in it was done well, making this one of the best releases of the year so far. The future of dc Talk may be unsure, but if the other two solo albums are as good as Tait's is, then we have nothing to worry about.
Josh's Score: 3.5/5
Mark's Score: 3.5/5
Nathan's Score: 3/5
Other coverage for this album
ReAL Magazine 2001Reviewed by Josh L!Most people will recognize Tait by vocalist Michael Tait, the band's namesake and one third of dc Talk. It seems safe to say that if Tait proves popular, Michael's superstar identity had a little something to do with it. However, after listening to this album it's easy to tell Michael isn't their only strong asset. The band is also graced by Pete Stewart's guitars (formerly of Grammatrain),…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Megan LenzEmpty is the first of three solo projects that will be released this year by the individual members of dc talk. In this case, "solo" is a loose term since Tait is a band comprised of Michael Tait himself, Pete Stewart (formerly of Grammatrain) on guitars and brothers Lonnie and Chad Chapin (bass and drums, respectively) in the rhythm section. Though Tait was probably the soul third of "Rap, Rock…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Trae CadenheadI had relatively high expectations for this project based upon the involvement of the two key members: Pete Stewart and Michael Tait. Stewart made incredible music with his rock band Grammatrain and released a wonderful solo album on his own in 1999. Michael Tait of dc Talk helped Stewart produce that solo album and sang background vocals on many of the songs. It was my hope that the…Similar sounding releases
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