Music review: Rob Thomas – 鈥楾he Great Unknown鈥�
On his third solo effort, Rob Thomas covers familiar ground found on his previous solo releases as well as material from his own band.
As the frontman for Matchbox Twenty, the Florida band became a pop-rock staple from 1996 to 2012 by releasing a palpable collection of mainstream rock that featured catchy riffs, infectious choruses and memorable melodies.
As a solo artist, Thomas blends pulsating dance grooves and snappy sing-along choruses dripping with pop sensibilities. 鈥淭he Great Unknown鈥� is a well-crafted collection that displays Thomas鈥� passion to deliver arrangements with a diverse sound and appeal.
鈥淚 Think We鈥檇 Feel Good Together鈥� opens the album in rousing fashion. The energetic arrangement is a guilty pleasure that draws you in with soaring electronic synth and a flirtatious dance mix infused with a heavy flavoring of Maroon 5鈥檚 sexy style.
鈥淭rust You,鈥� co-written with OneRepublic鈥檚 Ryan Tedder, serves as the lead single and follows with more techno influence smothered in a radio-friendly format that lingers in your head long after the melody ends. The signature sound offered by Matchbox Twenty is found on the sweet-sounding tracks 鈥淗old On Forever,鈥� 鈥淥ne Shot鈥� and 鈥淗eaven Help Me,鈥� while the title track is an inspirational and atmospheric number penned by Thomas highlighting the strength and grace of his wife.
One of the biggest surprises on the album can be heard on 鈥淧aper Dolls.鈥� The haunting track about a destructive and crumbling relationship features Ruth-Anne Cunningham. 鈥淏etter not look down/Cause it鈥檚 gonna be a long way to fall/This is our last chance/And it鈥檚 everything or nothing at all,鈥� ominously warns the Irish singer with an engaging voice reminiscent of Amy Lee of Evanescence.
The finest moment of the release comes on the closing 鈥淧ieces.鈥�
The fragile ballad brings things to a simplistic and moving finish with passionate lyrics brought to life by Thomas鈥� tender vocals, gentle piano and soothing orchestration.
鈥淭he Great Unknown鈥� is yet another resounding triumph for Thomas and convincingly proves he鈥檚 much more than a one-trick pony.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.