It’s inevitable that life will eventually throw you a curveball and knock you on your ass. The important thing is what you do once you get back up because that is what determines whether you will succeed or fail. For Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer, the curveball was a whopper. After being diagnosed with a partially paralyzed left vocal chord, Tom had to retrain his voice and basically learn to sing all over again. He is about to release his first solo album after over ten years in the making, the aptly-titled and lyrically introspective “The Way Life Goes.”
The new record is a showcase for Tom’s versatility as both a songwriter and a performer running the gamut from hard driving rock to country and of course the blues. The first thing you hear is Tom screaming to kick things off with the bluesy rock of “Solid Ground.” If there was ever any question of his vocal abilities, there isn’t anymore. The vibe quickly changes with the lighter country feel of “A Different Light” and the poignant acoustics of “Ask Me Yesterday.” The first single “The Flower Song” is a tender but celebratory love song about finding “the one.” Some of my favorite tracks are up next with the pulsing rock of “Mood Elevator” and the fantastic riffs in “Welcome To My Mind” before appropriately closing the record with the title track.
It may have taken ten years to get here, but this record is worth the wait. Reflecting on his personal struggles and the hard work and patience required to overcome them, Tom has reached down inside himself and given us a truly amazing album. If this is “The Way Life Goes,” I say it’s pretty damn great!
