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Mark Bryan - 30 on the rail

Two and a half stars

A member of one of the most loved and most maligned bands of the 1990s, Mark Bryan knows how to write a good pop song. With his solo debut album, 30 on the rail, Hootie and the Blowfish guitarist Bryan releases 13 different versions of this pop song.

Not that that's a bad thing. Bryan's songs - mostly rootsy acoustic sing-alongs with a decidedly bar-band feel - sound almost exactly like Hootie tracks with Darius Rucker's vocals stripped off. The tracks are invariably southern pop, with good simple melodies and heartfelt, sincere lyrics.

Unfortunately for Bryan, Rucker's soulful, honeyed baritone is the best thing about a Hootie and the Blowfish's album. Bryan is not an awful singer - his voice is good in a homespun sort of way. Deep and slightly gruff, he sounds similar to Rucker, but lacks confidence and sheer vocal power.

Though Bryan cannot carry a song like Rucker, the album still stands as a fairly strong collection. Though its pop and country leanings are expected, what is surprising is how close many songs are to gospel music. Gentle organ, chorus vocals, and soul-church piano adorn most of the songs here, giving them a religiously exuberant flair.

Bryan's lyrics are at times surprisingly dark. On the album opener "If It Happens" - the strongest rock track on the album - Bryan raggedly sings "Sometimes I feel like I just can't get anyone to listen/ If nobody's listenin' there's no reason to be alive." The album often deals with complicated feelings about fame, but occasionally reverts to Hootie clichˇs about girls and crying.

Bryan writes good, unpretentious music. Unfortunately, he writes the same music over and over, and we have heard it all before.