Tommy Stinson is better known as the scrawny, spiky-haired bassist from The Replacements. His solo-debut album under the major label Sanctuary appears to be of the pop-rock strain from his garage punk roots.
The truth is you will find little of the old Tommy in this album, as it would appear he has grown up from his hazy, drug-induced, pubescent beginnings. His maturity is indicated by solid playing and songs that gleam with polishing. Most are exemplified by “Not a Moment Too Soon” and the Stone-esq “Motivation,” both are well executed technically, but with vaguely incoherent lyrics. The somewhat angsty “Village Gorilla Head” veers from unaffected melancholy to somber melodrama and back.
Despite all this, the album still lacks a certain passion and can’t really escape the typical mediocrity found in most of modern rock. Which is not to say this is not an enjoyable album, especially on a rainy day afternoon when you are reminiscing about old friends and bygone days. As Stinson says in “Light of Day,” “we’ll always make it through the day there’s always gonna be a better way…”