In 1999 a small band from San Francisco broke onto the music scene with a single called "Meet Virginia." Train, the band’s self-titled debut album, had a distinctly southern sound with all the earmarks of a band that had returned to the roots of rock, employing stripped-down acoustic guitar riffs, harmonica, and banjos. Amid the success of their debut album, which spent four weeks in the number one slot on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in the summer of 1999, much speculation was made about the band’s ability to find life after the proverbial overnight success. Prior to their solo debut, Train preformed alongside the Dave Matthews Band, Ben Folds Five, and Collective Soul.
On March 27 the long anticipated sophomore release from Train hit stores. The album, titled Drops of Jupiter, has much to live up to in the wake its predecessor. The release itself was flanked by the March 20 premier of the title track’s video on VH1. On March 28 Train made an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman.
In this album, the band attempts to depart from the rough-edged sound that set their debut album apart. Most of the tracks have a more melodic feel, and while the album is still good they seem to be in danger of becoming just another generic rock band. In this album they seem to have lost some of the darker overtones that characterized their first album. Simple chords and rhythms indicative of their first album are evident in such songs as "She’s on Fire" and "Let it Roll." The album begins to shows signs of going mainstream in several songs, though, particularly the title track. This song begins in a style typical of the debut album, but soon transitions to a grand string and piano section which is too reminiscent of an Elton John song. Likewise, the songs "It’s About You," "Something More," and "Respect" are where the album begins to falter and begins to trade in its raw guitar band sound for a more mainstream upbeat sound like Collective Soul and Matchbox Twenty.
Overall, the album is worth buying for both the new and old fan. Though the album shows signs of mainstream influence, it still possesses the sound that originally made Train famous. Though they may not be as radio friendly as other bands with more "feel good" sounds, they continue to be true to the origins of rock. Hopefully Train will continue to steam ahead.
Train has been touring small venues across the country and will be appearing in Clifton Park’s Northern Lights on May 12 at 8 pm. Tickets are $15 and are available through Ticket Master. Like many other CDs released today, Drops of Jupiter contains a video on the making of the "Drops of Jupiter" video. The official Train website can be found at http://www.trainline.com/. Also look for Train on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on June 4.
