Up until now, it’s been Matchbox Twenty front man Rob Thomas who’s profited most from the band’s upward trajectory, given the high profile he’s attained with his solo standing. Now it appears that drummer Paul Doucette is ready to take the same route, thanks to a superb side project titled the Break and Repair Method. While the origins of the name seem somewhat hazy, the music’s anything but, given its unabashed display of effusive optimism. Titles like “You Won’t Be Able to be Sad,” “Life Gets Beautiful” and “Won’t Get Worse” offer first hints as to its more upbeat offerings, while the sparkling melodies and loping tempos affirm Doucette’s starry-eyed sentiment. Likewise, “This City Is Bound to Do Us In,” “Forget about the Brightside” and “I’m at a Low” provide the contemplative yin to that celebratory yang, their sentiments seemingly more restrained but fortunately no less embracing. An excellent debut, it ought to find Doucette following on the heels of Thomas’ solo success.
