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Something to Be

by Rob Thomas

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It's common knowledge that solo albums are simply an excuse for a frustrated band member to indulge their experimental sides and Rob Thomas, singer for decidedly M.O.R. multiplatinum rockers Matchbox Twenty is not one to pass on the opportunity. Having already explored the classic rock thing through his collaborations with Mick Jagger and Santana, Thomas goes the other way here with results that are unexpected, and, sometimes totally unbelievable. He veers from modern R&B on the Justin Timberlake-aping "Lonely No More" to vintage prog-rock in "All That I Am," touching on all points in between. There are a few nods to the Matchbox canon with "Ever the Same" and "This Is How a Heart Breaks" but, as the title suggests, this is an album about finding himself. For the moment, Thomas is still searching. The DualDisc portion features 5.1 surround sound, a 20-minute documentary on the making of the album by filmmaker Gillian Grisman, plus the holiday tune, "Christmas in New York." --Aidin Vaziri