Rob Thomas - Something to Be

By Joshua O'Connell
Posted Thursday, April 28, 2005

You may have heard of Rob Thomas before. He's the singer for the popular, yet mostly faceless, band Matchbox Twenty. But he's more famously been collaborating with music's biggest stars, including his career highlight: reviving Santana's career and singing on a track that was #1 for months.

Now, he's finally breaking out on his own. With his first solo album, "Something to Be," Thomas shows off a different side while staying true to his roots.

Matchbox Twenty fans will find the same solid song construction and catchy hooks that have been there since the very beginning. Pop fans will take notice a bit of the edge has been taken off the music, replaced with a more pronounced pop sheen.

Lead single "Lonely No More" keeps the guitars, as does the first half of the album, but has a catchy beat. "I Am An Illusion" starts with a world music-sounding percussion beat, with the faint echo of a chorus.

Still, it's the second half of the album, when the guitars are given a break, where the album shines the best, with an airy vibe gives Thomas's voice a chance to shine.

"All That I Am" favors a clever chime and drum-based rhythm, with flourishes of strings. "Streetcorner Symphony" adds a touch of horns to a funky beat. "My, My, My" includes a 60s-like woodwinds accompaniment which works beautifully with the piano and drums. "Now Comes the Night" features just Thomas singing and playing the piano, and is as strong a closer as "Songbird" on the Fleetwood Mac "Rumours" album.

Throughout the album, the flourishes accent what is still a powerful set of tracks, all which you can sing along to pretty quickly. While he continues to follow a formula that worked best for him, he diverts off the path a bit, and none of the tracks sound too samey for the album to get tired.

Thomas' first effort is a powerful debut that proves he's got the chops to make it on his own. His creativity makes the album shine over the best Matchbox Twenty efforts, and is well worth a listen or two.

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