Tragik

Tragik is a Philadelphia based band who seem have a genre all to themselves. It's one of those bands that you have to hear to believe. But if I were held at knifepoint and forced to give a label, it would probably be RockaFolkenHop. But that's a little awkward and I'm sure Billboard would shorten it to Rock, so we'll stick with that one.

Their driving force is lead singer and main songwriter Ken Hylind. Armed with the kind of deep whiskey-voice usually reserved for smoky jazz clubs, Hylind commands an impressive emotional range. Their EP Unwillingboro is a jewel for both musicians and fans - musicians will appreciate the genius in the intricate, inspired mixing and layering Hylind has labored over, fans will only know that they find themselves singing refrains over and over under their breath long after the disc stops spinning.

From the caress of a love song, to the gritty growls that serve as spiritual tonic, every nuance in the songs Hylind unleashes is a magnifying glass over his stark world, threaded with unapologetic truth. The supporting music is at once anxious, intense, aggressive and overwhelmingly alive... all beneath a deceptive folk-indie-rock clothing.

Tragik transports us from a dismal New Jersey suburb, to a disappointing circle of friends, to a distinct annoyance with the ignorance of the human race. We begin to suspect these creations are a carefully planned expression, easily confused with assault, until you realize what's going on. Hylind still manages to surprise us with an saccharine acoustical ballad so simple and bare that it only serves to prove that once again, he is the master manipulator of sound and emotion. And that nothing is beyond his grasp.

It's hard to classify a sound where the only metaphor I can come up with is Gavin-Rossdale-meets-Jakob-Dylan-in-a-dark-alley-and-beats-him-senseless, but these genre nomads have no trouble speaking to anyone with functional hearing through their demo CD. Although I am emotionally attached to the music, Tragik's live show is not to be missed. Considering the level of care taken with the tracks, you may suspect the attention to detail would be lacking on the live show. Oh, no, my friends. One glimpse of the energy, even having never heard most of the songs before, and I was hooked. It's captivating, and rather addictive.

My favorite tracks on their 6 song demo CD are Unwillingboro, Confession, and I Will Die a Poor Man. These three songs cover a lot of the range I've seen in Tragik - the riffs are memorable, the changes swift and energetic, the harmony dead on and striking. After I've listened to Confession, I am obsessed with going to harass my guitar; the song (definitely my favorite) makes my fingers itch with the need to play. Eva the Sheep, a drum-driven bitchfest about how blissfully ignorant the world is, puts Tragik among the greats who actually send coherent thought through their music, not just groundless, drifting lyrics punctuated with typical masculine preening.

This is, by far, the most original sound as a band I've ever heard. You should check out some of their tunes, at the very least to understand what I'm talking about. They're worth every second.

SCORE: Five out of five stars - by Kate Campbell

"Tragik (Untitled)" " Philadelphia's TRAGIK eschews flashy dynamics, and their very lack of a gimmick becomes their gimmick--the quiet intensity and palpable sincerity of their songs is what keeps you listening, not the big anthemic choruses that most bands rely on. TRAGIK's music still displays all the earmarks of rock grunge, but stripped of the self-pity and mellow dramatics that most bands add to this formula, their takes seems freshly original, and well worth checking out" - Jim Testa, Jersey Beat Magazine

- Jim Testa

"great songs, great vocals, great look, great attitude, its needless for me to say I am very excited about TRAGIK". - Ted Greenberg - producer/engineer

"no band's music or stage presence has kept my attention like Tragik has. Tragik's music is an exciting change of pace for all those willing to give it a chance". - Chris Staehle - Music Director

"I can see tragik on a major tour" - Aaron Mclaughlin - field scout