Posted: February 1st, 2008
Contributed By: Nick

Purchase @ CDBaby.com

Overview: Will Thomas hails from Charlottesville, Virginia, the birthplace of Dave Matthews Band. He joined forces with Daughtry guitarist Brian Craddock and began hammering out some new songs. Chris Daughtry himself also lent a hand in the creative process. After wooing Charlottesville legend Wally Worsley to handle guitar duties in his band, Will Thomas hit the studio with producer and ex-My Dog Lucy frontman Shep Stacy. Five songs were tracked and shipped off to Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, 12 Stones) for mixing. The end result is Will Thomas’ shiny new EP, ‘…This Is Your Life‘. The disc is only available on CD Baby so pick one up before they sellout…again.

The Good: To call ‘…This Is Your Life‘ only “good” would be a gross, gross understatement. This five song treasure opens with “Don’t Wait”, which should have Vertical Horizon fans completely sold after about 30 seconds. The tone and majesty of Will Thomas’ buttery voice becomes memorable quickly, his pipes some of the best to hit modern rock in eons. Musically, “Don’t Wait” thrives on warm, vibrant verses and soaring, robust choruses, as well as a few little neato nuances here and there. “Live This Life” was the song to which Chris Daughtry contributed his writing; luckily for Will, he is the one who gets to boast this dazzling upbeat number. “Live This Life” is sinfully catchy, a glutton for peachy overtones and an uplifting vibe that would make even El Diablo smile, tap his toes (or pitchfork) and sing along like a giddy pre-teen. The tune is imbued by pristine vocal harmonizing, including bursts of three-part harmony sprinkled throughout each chorus. Charming and tender, “Reconsider” is a dynamic wiz-kid, specifically in regards to the way each successive chorus is fuller and more enveloping than its predecessor(s). The sentimental “Reconsider” flows so smoothly that it exudes a soothing, peaceful feeling toward listeners. If anyone wants to help me fund the record label I want to start, I will split the sickening amount of profits “Go” will rake in with you. Hell, you can smell the aroma of smash hit coming from “Go” a mile away. Skidd Mills proves how sharp and crafty his mixing work is by looping the “go ooo-whoa-oh, I need to know you’ll let me go” hook through the second verse. An all-over carefree rollick with a sun-kissed, Top 40 goldmine of a chorus, “Go” has an earning potential that matches its creative merit; in that case, I’ll take 10,000 shares of “Go” industries please. ‘…This Is Your Life‘ hits the dusty trail with “Leaving”. Although following a song like “Go” is tough, “Leaving” mans up. Thomas’ delivery is prudent throughout the verses, which couples well with his more animated chorus approach. “Leaving” is the rhetorical powerhouse of the EP. And despite lyrics that are a wee bit blue, the cut retains this bubbly demeanor that fits better than talent does on Miley Cyrus. ‘…This Is Your Life‘ is damn stellar.

The Bad: Honestly, the only smudge on this masterful canvas isn’t even that noticeable. At the 3:15 mark of “Live Your Life”, the drummer makes a minor mistake on a rack tom fill. But I swear you wouldn’t have ever known that unless someone pointed it out to you. Other than that, ‘…This Is Your Life‘ is cleaner than Clearasil.

Bottomline: So I wasn’t kidding about that whole, “hey someone pitch in some coin and help me start a record label so we can launch ‘Go’ and then retire by 40″ thing I mentioned earlier. Will Thomas has such a bright future ahead of him it’s scary. Kudos are also in order for everyone directly involved in making this piece of music so wonderful: Will Thomas’ band, Brian Craddock, Shep Stacy, Skidd Mills, Chris Daughtry, whoever designed the cover, Will’s parents for birthing the guy who brought this thing to life, and the list goes on. Better hop on board the Will Thomas bandwagon now and claim your seat, because it’s gonna get awfully cramped in that thing in the not so distant future.

TuneLab Rating: 9 out of 10