Randy Thompson's
That's Not Me has some very strong songs, which he plays with a great delicacy that brings the listener to the core of the piece. Oft times the emotions expressed are sad and morose, but they're done with care and thoughtfulness so they don't bring you down. They are true to the feelings and themes of country music. Despite this proclivity for the themes of country music, this disc has moments of rocking on the wind. Having worked with some rock bands, there's a certain element of that mixed in, too.
Thompson never quite brings the same amount of rock to his work, but there is a strong influence from it that runs through the disc. This is very true in songs like "Dance Until Dawn" (although you keep waiting for it to really break loose), and "Sound of the Rain," with the use of a rock-edged lead guitar. He has some stellar people playing with him that truly enhance the music. There is some very tasty lead guitar played by
Garrick Alden, outstanding steel guitar by
Michael Aldridge, and some very fine fiddle by
Rickie Simpkins that add a great deal to this rather short disc.
Randy Thompson wrote or co-wrote all but one of the songs here, and that is a good cover of the
Steve Young written "The Whole World."
Thompson's strong suit seems to be in the songs he writes and it would be great to hear some of them done by someone who has a bit more of a rock leaning, such as
the Eagles. They seem wonderful for this type of material.