Rob Thomas: Without the Matchbox

This is NOT an album that I would have expected to have the least bit interest in. But in the spirit of broadening my horizons, I thought I would give it a try. They say that you can keep your brain active as you get older by exposing yourself to new music. So I exposed myself and spent $9.99 on iTunes to download "Something To Be," the solo debut from Rob Thomas, formerly of Matchbox Twenty.

"This Is How a Heart Breaks" leads off the CD. For a moment I thought I was back in the 1980's listening to an old Steve Winwood or Rod Stewart tune. The interesting use of female backup singers creates a throwback feeling to this song, which is catchy enough but probably will not make my playlist.

I have become slightly addicted to "Lonely No More." It has this very pseudo-reggae feeling to it, and the chorus is straightforward and cool to listen to. I wouldn't be the least bit embarassed if someone pulled up next to me at a stoplight and this song was blasting on my car stereo.

"Ever the Same" takes the edge off the first two tracks and is very mellow. I like the melody to this song, but it might have been a little more successful if it was backed-up by an orchestra instead of the guitar and synthesizer bells.

Opening "I Am an Illusion" is a faded gospel/slave sounding dirge that leads into a bassy background and a somewhat criminal-feeling verse. I'm not quite sure why the song started that way, but surely Rob had some sort of recent experience with an old black man that inspired him. I could see this being the theme song for a character from Spider Man or one of the myriad Marvel Comics characters we have been forced to see on the big screen lately. This song didn't really do much for me, but was a good excuse to get some trumpet pumps in the background whether or not they were synthesized (probably were).

"When the Heartache Ends" is repetitious and gets irritating by the end of it. It's one of those songs that you just wish would end. It might be because the chorus and the verses are so similar that it just seems neverending. I was sick of it after 1/2 a listen.

A mystical opening to "Something To Be" leads into a funky background track that would be a great opening to a movie about a widowed loner, soon-to-be-hero who searches for his kidnapped child and discovers himself in the process. Can I be more specific than that? It's an okay song but I don't feel a need to listen to it again.

Ding dong, ding dong! No, that's not your doorbell, it's "All That I Am." Don't bother answering the door. The song features Rob's pleasant-enough voice encapsulated within this Samurai-ish feeling song. The bells change to an Asian-flavored background. This song seems a little out of place, but again could fit well on a soundtrack. We get it Rob, you breathe so we breathe!

"Problem Girl" seems like a Matchbox reject song. Be honest, Rob...it was left off an album you did with the band, wasn't it? I wasn't thrilled by this song that much. It just didn't catch my ears like some of the others.

I felt an old-style rock vibe with "Fallin' to Pieces." It's a fun song that had hints of Roy Orbison and even Elvis, and a little bit of country to it. I could see it keeping my attention if I gave it a few more chances, but it didn't quite make the cut for me.

I was somewhat hoping to hear that "My My My" was a remake of the 90's Johnny Gill tune of the same name (except with commas), but I was disappointed with a droopy tune about something irrelevant. I am starting to feel like this album needed more live musicians as background support. Aside from his voice, there's too much background manufacturing going on.

"Streetcorner Symphony" is another soundtracky song that I could see closing a movie about a bunch of kids that successfully saved their community center. Watch the camera pulling up away from a closeup of all the kids dancing on the corner, with their adult mentors crying and hugging each other, we see the freshly painted center with bright colors, and then lastly the sun setting on the pink cityscape before we fade to the credits.

When I first listened to this record, I got to #11 and was feeling like I really didn't like any of the songs that much. But the very last song saved everything. "Now Comes the Night" is beautiful. Any song that you can hear only the voice, the piano, the pedals of the piano, and a very slight orchestra background will be bound to strike a chord. In my opinion, this is the best song on the album. Thanks for this one, Rob.

So, in summary, here are the songs that will be making my playlist:

Lonely No More
Now Comes the Night

That's 2 more songs than I ever would have expected to like on this album!