The opening track of the disc is Hey Now. Opening with "Toby's back"...seems kind of predictable. That being said, this track bumps. This is one you are sure to get into...don't be surprised if you start bobbing your head or something while you're driving in your car. And the addition of Cofee from Grits on the second verse...superb.
Catchafire (Whoopsi Daisy) hits your ears next. This one has a very catchy hook. MOC's rap in half of verse 2 is the only real disappointment on this track. Overall, it's an awesome track. NIce sampling of "Ooh Aah" from Grtis' The Art Of Translation (which featured Toby). Papa San's time on the track is spent well. Toby's definitely into featuring other artists a lot on this disc, but, two tracks in, it's working pretty well.
Now it's time for you to get Slammed (and no, I'm not telling you to go get drunk...give me a little credit here people!). The intro bares a bit of resemblance to the bridge in Extreme Days from Momentum. This one is a hard rock track, and it works well for Toby. He has always had a talent for bringing together rock and rap and making it work. And bringing T-Bone on for this track also definitely worked well. Another great track with great offerings from Toby and other artists.
Now it's time for one Toby's infamous interludes. This one, Poetically Correct, is not even a minute long, and it isn't even Toby on the track. This is an interesting track. It's quick, it's decent, not overly awesome, but it's an interlude, so that is to be expected.
Up next is the original version of Atmosphere (A remixed version hits our ears at the end of this track). This is an Irene-esque track. It's got that slight Latin flavor to it, and you've got Toby both rapping and singing. Musically, this song is solid. The song becomes a huge hit when the lyrics are heard. Another awesome offering.
Next up is Gone. Gone is just a strange song in the realm of tobyMac. It's an attempt at pop punk, and a poor attempt at that. Look, we know Toby can sing, we found that out on Supernatural from dc Talk. But seriously, he sounds like he's straining to hit some of these notes, the lyrics aren't very deep and they certainly don't resound in the ears of everyone, and the music is just bland and doesn't fit with the song. This one could be better if it was toned down and not an attempt at getting hard rock guitar stuff in there. Unfortunately, this is far and away one of Toby's worst. It just seems out of place on this disc, as it would have on Momentum.
Truett McKeehan, AKA Tru-Dog, is back for a second showing of the skills his father gave him on Tru-Dog, The Return. Okay, the kid's cute. And he likes to rap. We get it! But come on...this is overkill. The kid does not belong on the mic for over 2 minutes (as an interlude!). Sampling both of the previous Tru-Dog offerings only made this interlude more annoying, as it seems like you're listening to an old song or something.
The title track, Diverse City, is up next, and this one is the stand out track of the disc. Toby is bringing the funk, and this one is just plain awesome. You will be bumping this all day long and won't get tired of it. It is an awesome song, plain and simple. The music is really fun and you will get lost in this one.
Stories (Down To The Bottom) is up next. This one was written by Toby and the members of Superchic(k), which is an easy explanation for why Superchic(k) is on this track. This track is good but not great. Superchic(k)'s addition to the song helps a bit, hinders a bit, but it works overall. Not the greatest track on the disc, but good.
Now we're on to Getaway Car. This is another one that is a bit reminiscent of disco tunes. Again, it works. Toby's found a niche in a disc that was supposively going to be very diverse in its' tunes. Toby wants to bring the funk on this record, and it's working quite well thus far. The musical at the end has a bit of Supernatural tied around in it. Quite interesting.
On to Burn For You. Wow, this is a powerful song. Don't be surprised if you find yourself thinking this would be a great song to do in church on Sunday morning. That's just the way the lyrics are written. This is Toby worship in disguise, and he nails it. One of the disc's highlights.
Fresher Than A Night At The W, the final interlude of the disc, is up next. And wow, does this sound a lot like an old school dc Talk interlude (Testimony on Free At Last anyone?). It's good, but it's quick. A little more on this one and a little less on Tru-Dog, The Return, could've worked pretty well.
Next up is Ill-M-I. It sounds like Toby trying to battle rap against no opponent. The lyrics are strange and don't seem to make any sense. And yet, somehow, the track will get stuck in your head. It works well. It may not be the greatest track on the disc, but it's solid.
The original version of Phenomenon has returned. The track that was previously available on a single only available at festivals Toby played in the summers, hits us again on this disc. It has been tweaked a bit. It has some slightly redeeming qualities and some minor hindrances, but it's basically the same as the original. The remix is still the best version of the song. It's nothing spectacular, but it's a decent effort. Following the song, we are treated to a mini-interlude, Toby listening to his answering machine. These messages are pretty funny, and the last one is a little message for any and every dc Talk fan wondering when the band's getting back together, so be sure to check that out.
Gotta Go is the final original track on the disc. And we return to the phone calls that ended Momentum. The ringing of a phone can be quite annoying, and they seem to lessen the value of the song. This song had major potential, but was ruined by the phone theme throughout the song and an annoying appearance from Truett. This one's right down there with Gone on this disc.
Finally, we come to the most hyped song on the disc, and the final track, Atmosphere (Remix). Why all the hype? Because people heard that tobyMac had Michael Tait and Kevin Max (for those who have lived in a cave and don't know, the other two members of dc Talk) do some guest vocals on the track. Now, anyone expecting a dc Talk track will be horribly disappointed, because this isn't dc Talk...this is tobyMac featuring Michael Tait and Kevin Max. It is a clearly Toby track with Kevin and Michael adding to the chorus. That being said, this version exceeds the original. Kevin could have used a bigger part on this track, but whatever. It may not be dc Talk, but it will certainly excite dc Talk fans, and it's better than the original. So, all in all, good job on this track.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Toby had some fans worried when Gone released to radio, and rightfully so. The track just simply doesn't fit with any of Toby's other songs. Also, for a disc that was supposively very diverse, there were quite a few tracks that had the funk brought to them. It seemed to be a theme of the disc. Overall, however, this is a great offering. It's far from perfect, but it's certainly a disc worth giving many listens to. Is it better than Momentum? It's pretty much a coin flip, with each disc having it's own positives and negatives.