 "Photo: Photo special to The Gamecock")
It's a natural progression: Join a rock band, sell millions of records, pursue a side-project.
After releasing their third album, "More Than You Think You Are" in 2002 and spending the next year touring the globe, the members of mainstream favorite matchbox twenty decided to do their own things for while.
For guitarist Kyle Cook, that meant returning to his rock star roots and reconnecting with former band mates Brett Borges, drummer and bassist John Kibler.
The three met during high school in rural Indiana. Under the name Downpour the group played proms and parties, but parted ways once graduation came around.
Although Cook soon hooked up with his matchbox band mates, the trio kept in touch and recorded demos during Cook's time off from touring. Adopting the moniker The New Left, they solidified their lineup with the addition of guitarist and singer/songwriter Steve Earmon, a friend of Borges'.
Three years in the making, the group's first EP, "Wallpaper Music," perfected at Cook's studio in Orlando, Fla., delivers six inarguably original, blues-tinged rock tracks.
As a matchstick, Cook has enjoyed limited time behind the mic, handling lead vocals on the chorus of "Hang" off 1996's "Yourself or Someone Like You," and fronting select tunes on tour.
"Wallpaper Music" allows him to flaunt his vocal chops. From the edgy swagger of "Tease Me," to the earnest crooning on "Cecelia," Cook shows he has the requisite versatility and technique for frontman status.
The EP opens with a pair of guitar-heavy rockers, "Overboard" and "Dotted Line."
"Wind-Up Girl" finds Cook "walking downtown," losing his sneer in favor of a more mellow approach. Finger-picked lines skip through the background, giving the tune a breezy feel in spite of the electric guitars and layered instruments.
On the jazzy "Tease Me," Borges lays down a cymbal-tinged drumbeat. The following track, "Should Have Let Go," finds him playing percussive tricks with the time signature. Both tunes seethe with bluesy guitar licks, giving them a smokey, backroom feel. Effects transform Cook's voice into a swirling whisper on "Should of Let Go," as he sings, "I hear the way it sounds, and I want to scream."
"Wallpaper Music" closes with the piano-driven "Cecelia," the most stunning cut on a stellar EP. Cook's impassioned vocals turn the simple ballad into a timeless track, earnest and lovelorn. Over pounding keys he belts out, "Now Cecelia if you take me back, I swear I'll be good to you ... It seems like everything we had was not our own."
As if playing lead guitar for one hit-making rock band wasn't enough, Cook has thrown the whole of his talent into The New Left's debut EP. A group of old friends has rarely sounded this fresh.
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