ORIGINAL ARTICLE SHOULD BE HERE!

SouthofMainstream.com - Reviewed by "Compgeekgirl" - November 21, 2003 (cd review)

Things I Used To Know - 3 stars
ROB FALGIANO

Rob Falgiano's 2 disc release, Things I Used To Know, showcases a talented vocalist and musician. The two discs are basically pop oriented, with various splashes of folk, alt-country, twangy country, 50's rock and roll and even some lounge and disco elements.

Falgiano is a talented musician and vocalist, who is admirably and ably backed by a bevy of different musicians and backing vocalists on the 26 songs that make up the two disc set. At times the music is reminiscent of The Gin Blossoms, at others it has the alt-country appeal of The Old 97's or I Love Math, and at still others it has an almost Buddy Holly-esque 50's rock appeal. Throughout the sound is polished and professional. The production quality is very good.

There are numerous great tracks sprinkled amongst the two discs. "Burning Sun", "Butterflies and Bumblebees", "Hips" and "Full Hands, Few Hearts" are pretty ballads, full of emotional vocals and very pretty guitar. "Brilliant" and "Nightfall" have a great country/rock sound, reminiscent of the Old 97's. "She's Sweet To Me" reminded me of the Gin Blossoms. "April Again" has an interesting, deep drum sound, with incredibly pretty vocals laid over the drum, and finally a layered guitar sound rounding out this very pretty song. "Welcome to Our Song" has a hazy disco sound balanced with standard pop style vocals, while "Lounge In B Flat" has an expected lounge appeal, with Latin influence. "Wish I Could Climb" has a rollicking, almost 50's style rock and roll sound.

I'd like to give this artist a higher rating, because he is immensely talented and knows well that great backing musicians can make or break a recording. However, a two disc set can sometimes create problems for the new listener. It's an awful lot for a new listener to digest. Generally most multiple disc sets are bought by long-time fans of an artist or band, someone already enthralled with the sound or style. As a first time listener, with 36 songs to try to review, I found that a lot of the time the songs all slid together, as the style, while varied, is ultimately pure pop as a whole.

This talented musician can probably tackle anything, any type of music. I'd love to hear him try something really wild. As it is, I'll probably burn my favorite ten songs to a mini-compilation of my own for full enjoyment.

Favored Tracks:
Nightfall
April Again
Girlfriend
Wish I Could Climb
Burning Sun

Genre: Pop with hints of country, rock and folk
Released: 2003