Train

With the release of its self-titled first album in 1998, Train showed all the makings of a one-hit wonder. In the past few years it seems as though any all-male band playing the same kind of mellow, adult contemporary rock and turning one high-selling single into a hit album only crashed and burned on any future efforts. The style of music and the trend of its success has become something of a joke -- so much so that I fully expected all the songs on Train's second effort, Drops of Jupiter, to be lazy, sound-alike duds save for the title track, which is enjoying heavy radio airplay.\nThe first two songs, "She's On Fire" and "I Wish You Would," support that prediction. Both begin with essentially identical, bland instrumentals. Said instrumentals and pedestrian lyrics are made worse because it's obvious the band itself thinks its attempt at being upbeat is succeeding. \nWrong.\nNext up is "Drops of Jupiter," the track that's supposed to be good. And it is good, with melancholy lyrics accompanied by a relaxed, lulling sound. I didn't pay too much attention the first time (or the second or third) time I heard the song, but somewhere along the line, it grew on me. Maybe because lead singer Patrick Monahan's voice is perfectly suited to this kind of song.\nFrom there on, a quasi-miracle occurs. Instead of repeating the mistakes of tracks one and two, Train actually takes some queues from "Drops of Jupiter" and keeps the rest of the album relaxing and mellow. With catchy choruses and low-key guitar riffs, the rest of Drops of Jupiter is listenable. The acoustic-based "Hopeless" is a standout track, presenting an example of quality songwriting by the band members and perfectly showcasing Monahan's vocal strength. Skipping past the hackneyed "Respect," "Let it Roll" manages to make good use of acoustic guitars and the mandolin.\nTrain is not likely to win strong critical praise for any of its efforts. Despite successes on "Drops of Jupiter," the band will never "blow your mind" (as it says on the title song). But for something airplay-friendly, this is the best there is from bands stranded in the middle of the road.