pat monahan

Over the course of four studio albums, Train has become nothing if not predictable. Listeners are going to get jangly guitars, mid-tempo beats, occasionally goofy lyrics, and a relatively pleasant overall experience. Their most recent albums have not been anything overly memorable, but they do manage to keep your foot tapping and your mouth humming along. On his first solo album, The Last of Seven, Train frontman Pat Monahan does his best to separate himself from the successful Train formula. He succeeds at times, but overall, this feels like something you have heard before.

If The Last of Seven were not branded as a solo album, most listeners would be inclined to think it was a new Train album. The first few tracks, including lead single "Her Eyes" bounce along nicely and bring to mind past Train songs such as "She's On Fire" or "Get To Me", but it's not until the fourth track, "Someday", with its backing gospel choir that Monahan starts to set his solo work apart from his band. "Ooh My My" is the kind of dirty blues-rock track that Monahan's voice was made for. "Raise Your Hands" features both the aforementioned gospel choir, a synthesizer, and programmed beats that feel slightly out of place on the album, but aptly serve a purpose for Monahan in establishing that this is not a Train album.

As The Last of Seven moves along, Monahan keeps returning to the familiar Train sound, "Always Midnight" would have fit in nicely with the rest of the tracks on Drops of Jupiter, and while the album does not suffer, it doesn't do a whole lot to make itself special. There is a nice duet with Brandi Carlisle, "Pirate On The Run", that seems destined for chick flick soundtrack next summer, but there are few other tracks that will stick with you.

Taken as a whole, The Last Of Seven is slightly disappointing. While "Her Eyes", "Ooh My My", and "Pirate On The Run" feel like keepers, the rest of the album is at times boring and is planted firmly in the middle of Train frontman Pat Monahan will hit the road this fall on his first solo tour. The trek comes in support of his solo debut, "Last of Seven," due Sept. 18 via Columbia. Dates begin Oct. 4 in Phoenix.

Also included in the itinerary are appearances on "The Today Show" (Sept. 14), "The Tonight Show" (Oct. 2), "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "The Late Show With Craig Ferguson" (Oct. 4) and the "CBS Early show" (Nov. 3).

As previously reported, "Last of Seven" finds Monahan collaborating with such artists as Brandi Carlile ("Pirate on the Run"), Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora ("Someday") and Graham Nash ("Cowboys and Indians").

"I'm a soul singer in a way that I'm projecting more on this record than on any other," Monahan told Billboard.com, adding that as soon as he started writing this particular batch of songs, he "realized I wasn't writing a Train record."

Patrick "Pat" Monahan was born February 28, 1969 in Erie (Waterford), Pennsylvania.

He is the lead singer and songwriter for the Grammy award winning band Train. He also plays percussion and saxophone.

He announced on June 25, 2007 that his first album, Last of Seven, will be released on September 18, 2007. His first solo single, Her Eyes, started playing on radio stations in July. Since July 6, 2007, the song has been playing in rotation on the Sirius radio station, The Pulse and on XM Satellite Radio's "Flight 26".

On July 21, 2007 Pat married for the second time. On August 5, 2007 Monahan perfomed the American National Anthem at the NFL Hall Of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
Patrick "Pat" Monahan was born February 28, 1969 in Erie (Waterford), Pennsylvania.

He is the lead singer and songwriter for the Grammy award winning band Train. He also plays percussion and saxophone.

He announced on June 25, 2007 that his first album, Last of Seven, will be released on September 18, 2007. His first solo single, Her Eyes, started playing on radio stations in July. Since July 6, 2007, the song has been playing in rotation on the Sirius radio station, The Pulse and on XM Satellite Radio's "Flight 26".

On July 21, 2007 Pat married for the second time. On August 5, 2007 Monahan perfomed the American National Anthem at the NFL Hall Of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.