Rob Thomas released his third album on Friday, but it falls short of his previous efforts.
Rob Thomas, lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, has led a successful solo career of his own throughout the years. With solo hits such as “Lonely No More,” “This is How a Heart Breaks” and “Her Diamonds,” under his belt, Thomas has steadily remained a household name in pop and adult contemporary genres for more than a decade. However, his third solo album, The Great Unknown, falls short of his previous efforts.
The album starts strong with a string of solid tracks. The opener “I Think We’d Feel Good Together” sounds right at home with his slew of popular hits, and it is directly followed by the album’s lead single, “Trust You.” The song strays from Thomas’ signature stripped down style in favor of a peppy track with more electronic backing and catchy yet simple lyrics.
The third track, “Hold On Forever,” might be the best on the album, with its style akin to a Jason Mraz ditty: laid back and a bit blissful, topped generously with innocent, playful lyrics. The entire track captures a sort of young love with its gooey lines.
Other standouts include the fun, island-inspired “One Shot,” and the reliable, if not to-be-expected, sound of “Absence of Affection.”
Though there are several enjoyable tracks on the album, The Great Unknown lacks cohesiveness as a complete work. Some of the songs sound like they were written for the early era of Maroon 5. Some sound like the Rob Thomas listeners are familiar with while others carry a laid back, tropical style or sound incredibly poppy and mainstream.
Variety is a blessing on an album when it’s executed well. On The Great Unknown, however, the variety in style causes the album to sound disjointed and unorganized.
Though the individual songs generally sound solid on an instrumental level, Thomas’ lyrics often fall flat. The songwriting is bland and lacks uniqueness. The lyrics are often generic and sound as though they could have been written by anyone and about anyone. They lack pointedness and direction.
Thomas’ vocals come across much the same. They are far less interesting than the instrumental backings, and that’s a shame, as Thomas certainly possesses vocal talent. In The Great Unknown, the vocals are rarely charged with any sort of emotion, leaving the listener unaffected. If nothing else, this lack of emotion is what leads The Great Unknown down a path of mediocrity.
The Great Unknown is a subpar collection of songs and lacks cohesiveness. Songs such as “I Think We’d Feel Good Together” and “Hold On Forever” are quite enjoyable and would make great singles, but much of the album falls short both lyrically and vocally.
ms153614@ohio.edu
@GS_Matt
