Songs like "Why Not" feature little more than Matthews' singing voice and an acoustic guitar accompaniment. At its best, Matthews has a voice similar to Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. But while Vedder applies resonant vocals to great, powerful rock songs, Matthews tends to wander lyrically, with a stream of consciousness tactic that may be honest, but is rarely compelling. "Everything I'm Not," for example, comes off like a Tom T. Hall throwaway. It has the off-the-cuff feel of a Hall song, yet without any of the wit, intelligence and intrigue.

A great songwriter doesn't need a lot of aural filigree to sell his/her songs. A less than average songwriter -- which is what Matthews is, honestly -- is downright difficult to sit through without a little more musical coloring. These songs would have been a little better with a little more musical flavor, but not much better. Matthews practices his craft in Nashville, TN, a place where the best-of-the best display their work. It takes a brave man to test his skills against the cream of the songwriting crop. Bravery doesn't equal skill, though, sadly.