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Solo Thomas Delivers the Rock Goods -- Safely

Posted on: Friday, 24 March 2006, 06:00 CST

By Sarah Henning, Duluth News-Tribune, Minn.

Mar. 24--Saying Rob Thomas plays it safe is like saying Rick James did a little cocaine.

With his band matchbox twenty, Thomas figured out the formula for radio-propelled commercial success and stuck to it. Songs such as "3 a.m." and "Back 2 Good" came out as solid, conventional pop songs, but any appeal they had was brutally clubbed to death by radio overplay.

While touring on his first solo album, Thomas had a tough time extracting himself from matchbox twenty'sradio-pop shadow Thursday night in Duluth. Though admittedly, it probably was his work with the band that filled many of the seats. Attendance was 2,287, a hair away from a sell-out in the DECC Auditorium.

About half of Thomas' set was old matchbox songs, one blending into the next, a couple sticking out because of their awesome badness. (Please tell me "The Difference" was written for an afterschool special because the band needed drug money. Otherwise, there is no reason for this song to exist.)

However, in the moments Thomas did shake his candy-coated shell, it turned out he's got a meaty center.

An emotive acoustic version of "Push" showed that when his songs are stripped down, the audience can better appreciate the brilliant candor of lines such as, "I want to take you for granted." Thomas has a raspy, emphatic delivery like John Mellencamp, which seemed more sincere when Thomas sat on stage alone.

Both concert highlights came from cuts on his new album, which is a positive sign for his potential as a solo artist. "When the Heartache Ends" juxtaposes desperate and bitter lyrics against calm, sweet instrumentation. "I Am An Illusion" features atypical pop song construction propelled by Cure-ish keyboards. Within the more pensive musical mood nests lyrics that go beyond Thomas' usual relationship fodder to a fairly deep introspection. At least, as deep as you can get in a three-minute song.

Thomas rocked the covers, with a shockingly fun take on David Bowie's "Let's Dance," nailed by Thomas' ginormous seven-piece band. The group was ample enough to handle the song's percussive nuances and full backup vocals.

A cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall," was a less surprising selection, but just as well-executed. Thomas opted for a man-and-guitar version and a gentle interpretation, a la Ryan Adams.

Of course, Thomas had to do straight-up copies of his current radio hits including "Lonely No More," a bouncy pop song that in a decade will be sold on a late-night Time Life infomercial for the Essential 2000s CD compilation.

But it was a real misstep not to push the audience's comfort zone with his deeper cuts off "Something To Be," like the ethereal, PeterGabriel-like "All That I Am."

Overall, though, Thomas made good in areas where other pop artists often fail:

Fresh versions of tired songs? Check.

Unpredictable covers? Check

Real connection with the audience? Check.

If Thomas can let go of his safety net on the next album, critics will have to quit calling him the Phil Collins of his generation and start giving him (gasp) artistic credibility beyond begrudging praise for "Smooth."

SARAH HENNING covers arts and entertainment. She can be reached at (218) 279-5536 or by e-mail at shenning@duluth news.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Duluth News-Tribune, Minn.

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Source: Duluth News-Tribune (Duluth, Minn.)

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