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Returning to solo status after the 2012 Matchbox 20 reunion -- this time, the group didn't go on hiatus; they merely took a break while their singer pursued other projects -- Rob Thomas decided to broaden his horizons on 2015's The Great Unknown by working with a variety of different producers and collaborators this time around. Still on board in an executive producer role is Matt Serletic (the producer who's worked with Thomas for nearly 20 years), and the singer/songwriter also enlists OneRepublic mastermind Ryan Tedder and Jason Derulo/Jessie J producer Ricky Reed to give him a modern pop life. This new blood is notable on The Great Unknown, which is considerably livelier than 2009's contemplative Cradlesong. He hasn't entirely abandoned power ballads -- it's in his blood and it's something he does well, as evidenced by "Paper Dolls" and the spare, piano-anchored closer "Pieces" -- and he retains a fondness for surging, insistent anthems, the kind that fill arenas and airwaves with equal ease. There's a levity here, though, that's often absent on his albums, either on his own or with his band. Who knows what's responsible for the shift? But the lightness is palpable and welcome, whether it surfaces on the cheerfully cheesy come-on "I Think We'd Feel Good Together" or the modulated disco pulse of "Things You Said" and "Trust You," the first single from Thomas since "Smooth" that could qualify as an unabashed party. The good vibes aren't limited to tracks designed to be hits, either: there's also the sunny, skipping "Hold On Forever," the stomping beats of "Wind It Up," the pan-global exuberance of "One Shot," and the digital horn stabs of "Absence of Affection," each adding momentum and cheer to an album that deliberately side-steps many of Thomas' signature moves while still sounding unmistakably like him.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Matt Serletic, Producer, Piano, Programmer, Synthesizer, Choir Vocals - Victor Indrizzo, Drums, Percussion - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Adrien Gough, Writer - Lyle Workman, Guitar - Chris Gehringer, MasteringEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Jason Lader, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano - Ray Parker Jr., Guitar - Brent Paschke, Guitar - Ruth-Anne Cunningham, Background Vocals - Sarah Dugas, Background Vocals - Ricky Reed, Producer, Programmer - Patrick Woodward, Choir Vocals - Henry Walther, Writer - Christian Dugas, Background Vocals - Bunny Knutson, Choir Vocals - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Serletic, VocalProducer - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Ryan Tedder, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Programmer, Writer, Background Vocals - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Chris Gehringer, MasteringEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - JAMES BROWN, Engineer - Noel Zancanella, Producer, Drums, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Programmer, Writer - Ryan Enockson, AssistantEngineer - Matthew Tryba, AssistantEngineer - Elijah Samuels, Saxophone
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Tim Pierce, Guitar - Matt Serletic, Producer, Bells, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Fender Rhodes Keyboards - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - JAMES BROWN, Engineer - DAVE SCHIFFMAN, Engineer - Jason Lader, Bass Guitar, Strings - Alex Arias, Engineer - Brent Paschke, Guitar - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Serletic, Producer, Piano, Fender Rhodes Keyboards, Synthesizer, Choir Vocals - Victor Indrizzo, Drums, Percussion - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Lyle Workman, Guitar - Chris Gehringer, MasteringEngineer - Jason Lader, Bass Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer - Alex Arias, Beats - Brent Paschke, Guitar - Joe Zook, MixingEngineer - Ruth-Anne Cunningham, Background Vocals - Sarah Dugas, Background Vocals - Patrick Woodward, Choir Vocals - Christian Dugas, Background Vocals - Bunny Knutson, Choir Vocals - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Chris Gehringer, MasteringEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Shep Goodman, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Writer, Background Vocals, Drum Programmer - Aaron Accetta, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Writer, Background Vocals, Drum Programmer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Victor Indrizzo, Drums, Percussion - Rob Thomas, Programmer, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, Shaker, MainArtist - Chris Gehringer, MasteringEngineer - Jason Lader, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Synthesizer - Alex Arias, Programmer - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer - Aidean Abounasseri, Guitar
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Serletic, Producer, Bass Guitar, Piano, Programmer, Horns Arranger, Synthesizer, Choir Vocals - Victor Indrizzo, Drums, Percussion - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Lyle Workman, Guitar - Chris Gehringer, MasteringEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Lee Thornburg, Trumpet - Jason Lader, Guitar, Bass Guitar - Alex Arias, Programmer - Brent Paschke, Guitar - Eric Frederic, Writer - Ruth-Anne Cunningham, Background Vocals - Patrick Woodward, Choir Vocals - Brian Dales, Writer - John Gomez, Writer - Bunny Knutson, Choir Vocals - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer - Ryan Dragon, Trombone - J. Ryan Kern, Orchestration - James Hovorka, Trumpet
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Serletic, Producer, Synthesizer - Rob Thomas, Piano, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Lyle Workman, Guitar - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Jason Lader, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Programmer, Synthesizer - Alex Arias, Programmer, Synthesizer - Brent Paschke, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Programmer, Synthesizer - Adam MacDougal, Keyboards - Ruth-Anne Cunningham, Background Vocals - Laurence Fishburne, Vocals - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Serletic, Producer, Piano, Synthesizer - Victor Indrizzo, Drums, Percussion - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Lyle Workman, Guitar - Jason Lader, Bass Guitar, Keyboards - Brent Paschke, Guitar - Joe Zook, MixingEngineer - Ruth-Anne Cunningham, Lead Vocals, Background Vocals - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Serletic, Producer - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Jason Lader, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Synthesizer - Brent Paschke, Guitar - La Tanya Hall, Background Vocals - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Serletic, Producer, Keyboards - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Chris Gehringer, MasteringEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Jason Lader, Bass Guitar, Keyboards - Alex Arias, Programmer - Brent Paschke, Guitar - La Tanya Hall, Background Vocals - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Serletic, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer - Victor Indrizzo, Drums, Percussion - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Frank Romano, Writer - Lyle Workman, Guitar - Chris Gehringer, MasteringEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Jason Lader, Bass Guitar, Synthesizer - Brent Paschke, Guitar - Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal, Programmer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Serletic, Producer, String Arranger, Piano, Writer - Rob Thomas, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Joe Zook, MixingEngineer
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Album review
Returning to solo status after the 2012 Matchbox 20 reunion -- this time, the group didn't go on hiatus; they merely took a break while their singer pursued other projects -- Rob Thomas decided to broaden his horizons on 2015's The Great Unknown by working with a variety of different producers and collaborators this time around. Still on board in an executive producer role is Matt Serletic (the producer who's worked with Thomas for nearly 20 years), and the singer/songwriter also enlists OneRepublic mastermind Ryan Tedder and Jason Derulo/Jessie J producer Ricky Reed to give him a modern pop life. This new blood is notable on The Great Unknown, which is considerably livelier than 2009's contemplative Cradlesong. He hasn't entirely abandoned power ballads -- it's in his blood and it's something he does well, as evidenced by "Paper Dolls" and the spare, piano-anchored closer "Pieces" -- and he retains a fondness for surging, insistent anthems, the kind that fill arenas and airwaves with equal ease. There's a levity here, though, that's often absent on his albums, either on his own or with his band. Who knows what's responsible for the shift? But the lightness is palpable and welcome, whether it surfaces on the cheerfully cheesy come-on "I Think We'd Feel Good Together" or the modulated disco pulse of "Things You Said" and "Trust You," the first single from Thomas since "Smooth" that could qualify as an unabashed party. The good vibes aren't limited to tracks designed to be hits, either: there's also the sunny, skipping "Hold On Forever," the stomping beats of "Wind It Up," the pan-global exuberance of "One Shot," and the digital horn stabs of "Absence of Affection," each adding momentum and cheer to an album that deliberately side-steps many of Thomas' signature moves while still sounding unmistakably like him.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:17
- Main artists: Rob Thomas
- Label: Atlantic Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company ℗ 2015 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. A Warner Music Group Company
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