Ty Tabor's highly personal second solo effort,
Safety, showcases the
King's X guitarist's knack for writing beautifully plangent pop songs, even while dealing with difficult lyrical subject matter (in this case, his divorce). Not quite as hard-rocking as the average
King's X LP,
Safety features, fittingly, the more downbeat and melancholy side of
Tabor's songwriting style (exemplified by the
King's X tunes "Life Going By" and "Goldilox"); gorgeous tracks like the swirling "Room for Me" and the driving but bittersweet "Tulip (Your Eyes)" are carried along more by
Tabor's clear yet vulnerable singing style and well-constructed melodies than by his guitar. Still,
Tabor's slashing, visceral six-string tone and impeccable soloing crop up periodically to punctuate the clearly painful emotional content of the songs. ~ Andy Hinds, All Music Guide