Tash Hagz “The Battle Of Sanaleigh”

Tash Hagz Twitter bio, reads that he is a Singer/Songwriter, still living in the late 60’s. After one listen to his latest single, “The Battle Of Sanaleigh,” you are likely to agree with that self description. Bathed in folk and dried in psychadelia, Tash Hagz does his best to channel Rubber Soul era Beatles, on his recent effort. Like most Beatles fans, Hagz also loves Sgt. Peppers, and you can hear bits of “A Day In The Life,”  on, “The Battle Of Sanaleigh.” Interestingly, while Tash Hagz openly pulls ideas from an era gone by, “The Battle Of Sanaleigh,” sounds fresh and in some ways, progressive.

URL: https://tashhagz.com/

There is next to no background information on Tash Hagz, and of course, that seems to be by design. While it doesn’t come across as if he’s being intentionally cabalistic, it does seem as though he doesn’t place much emphasis on much other than art. By his own admission, Tash Hagz doesn’t view his musical pursuits to be a “career.” He has a regular job and by all appearances, leads a rather pedestrian life. So it’s somewhat bewildering, that someone who considers themselves to be rather average, could compose something so abstruse.

“The Ballad Of Sanaleigh,” starts off with a Bob Dylan meets The Beatles type acoustic strum, highlighted by effects. While the song has a bemused gentility, it’s not to be mistaken for melancholy. Normally, a piece of music, such as this, could be accused of trying to be too many things at once. Somehow, “The Battle Of Sanaleigh,” bypasses anything that could be considered excessive, or overabundant. To Tash’s credit, the track is more than competently produced and presented.

While Tash Hagz delivers a solid vocal performance, he doesn’t seem to have full confidence in himself, as a singer. He doesn’t fully enunciate, seems to trail off at times, and outright, mumbles at others. The lack of vocal boldness doesn’t take anything away from “The Battle Of Sanaleigh.” Hopefully, Tash will embrace his singing a bit more on his next effort, as he has a pleasant voice. Overall, the track is an engaging piece of work, that has many high points.

There’s a section during the second half of “The Ballad Of Sanaleigh,” that is almost completely extemporaneous. The drums suddenly accelerate, and you find yourself, momentarily astonished. This idea is a testament to the scope of Tash Hagz’ creativity. The bridge takes a decent song and makes it ostensibly, unforgettable. Go out of your way to check this track out, if for no other reason, than to hear it’s delightfully, unusually arrangement.

PANDORA: https://www.pandora.com/?sc=miR4215140

“The Ballad Of Sanaleigh” is more than enough to sell you on Tash Hagz. In fact, an entire album would seem to serve his writing approach. While Tash Hagz may consider himself a beacon of the past, he could be an ornamental figure in the resurgence of psychedelic tinged Rock. Where he goes from here, is entirely self-imposed. But for now, “The Battle Of Sanaleigh” is a certifiable triumph.

Mindy McCall