Faced with breaking away from Matchbox Twenty’s maudlin rock of the late 1990s, some would imagine lead singer Rob Thomas repeating the same old formula sans the rest of his Matchbox Twenty band mates.
However, on Something To Be, Thomas knocks it out of the park and invigorates the present state of pop music.
He doesn’t go the Justin Timberlake route by buying hip-hop beats from the hottest producers; he does it by not trying too hard to separate from Matchbox Twenty and by adding more funk than most knew he had in him. Helped along by John Mayer, Robert Randolph, Dr. Dre bassist Mike Elizondo and gospel choir Greater Anointing, Thomas proves he has good taste in collaborators. In addition, they each reward him with skillful artistry throughout Something To Be.
Thomas’ bouncing first single “Lonely No More” immediately breaks him of Twenty’s meat-and-potatoes rock. He encapsulates his lyrics about heartache over betrayal: “I don’t want to know the lover at my door/Is just another heartache on my list,” with grinding bass, funky guitars and a “Whoa-oh!” refrain that adds the perfect amount of hook to set Thomas up for an excellent debut.
“Ever The Same,” the most Matchbox-Twenty-ish song, is a serene ballad about Thomas’ desperate need for his lover not to leave him: “Now it’s cold and we’re scared/And we’ve both been shaken/Look at us/Man, this doesn’t need to be the end.”
A brooding bass line and Robert Randolph’s screeching lap guitar fill “I Am An Illusion,” the darkest song on the album, compliments of a sample of Bessie Jones’ 1975 blues classic “Oh Death.” Thomas’ fierce shout sets the mood for an energetic look into his search for individuality: “If I take in whatever they turn out/What’s that gonna make me now/Don’t you understand?”
The title track finds Thomas at his most funkadelic and angriest. With a jamming piano chord and electric guitar, the song is a high point of Something To Be because Thomas is at his most emotional state: “Play another one of those heartbreak songs/Tell another story how things go wrong/And they never get back/My pain is a platinum stack.”
A shofar (Hebrew ram’s horn), a kanun (Turkish stringed instrument), a duduk (Armenian wind instrument), marimbas, bells and other percussion and horns are utilized on the striking “All That I Am” to create a very distinct sound and ambience of standing in an African jungle breeze. Thomas’ emotive lyrics parallel the music in its transcendence: “I am the sound of love’s arriving/Echoed softly on the sand/Lay your head upon my shoulder/Lay your hand within my hand.”
“Fallin’ To Pieces” showcases Thomas’ gospel influence. Twangy guitar, violin and crescendo harmonies capture Thomas’ plead for company: “Stay with me tonight/Stay I’m gonna need ya when/Every little thing/Starts fallin’ to pieces.” Then Thomas steps into classic prom song territory with “My, My, My,” an up-lifted, soaring ballad with trickling guitar strums and trembling piano elegance.
John Mayer lends his guitar to “Streetcorner Symphony,” a feel-good jam about getting together with friends and having a great time: “The taste of summer sweetness on my mind/It’s a clear day/In this city/Let’s go dance under the street lights/All the people in this world.” Thomas’ lyrics may be a little corny, but the blaring horns and relaxed guitars more than make up for it.
The last song, “Now Comes The Night,” is the exception among the instrument-heavy tracks on Something To Be. The song is only Thomas and his piano composing a moving and beautiful melody around his words of earnest promise to stay by his girl: “So just slide over here/Leave your fear in the fray/Let us hold to each other/Till the end of our days.” The simple piano builds to a quiet climax that floats the song along a heavenly harmony, which proves you don’t need a multitude of instruments to make a fantastic and sincere song.
Rob Thomas proves himself worthy of solo success with Something To Be, a collage of different emotions backed by uniquely sounding compositions that breathe a breath of fresh air into music in general. If Thomas continues on his solo path, he will have to work hard to top this stellar debut.