Is there something wrong with my recording, I guess the timing sounds strange but I cannot tell exactly whats wrong

Question

Today I played guitar to a backing track, it is the song Drive by Incubus. When I listen to it something sounds strange, but I cannot tell. Might it be out of time?

Here is a link to my recording, but especially this intermediate part sound strange when I play the bass note of the guitar, it sound as it comes to late, but then the rest fits again.

So do I just imagine something, or is there an issue with the timing somehow??

I am no musical expert and far from being a real musician, but I try to improve myself and listen critically to my recording, so it would be a great help to figure out if there is something wrong with my playing. Thank you!

Answer 1

It's because the chord changes sometimes happens on the first beat of a measure, and sometimes on the second eighth of the 4th beat.

So if you're counting along you'd count "One and two and three and four and". So the chord change happens on the "and" after four, and not on the one. Pay close attention and count along with the song and see if you can notice this.

Answer 2

The rhythm is being 'pushed' half a beat earlier than it normally is. Instead of changing chord at the very beginning of the bar, it's coming in half a beat before. You can do this by playing the new chord on the upstrum that normally gets played there, or change it to a downstrum, which messes up the rhythmic pattern of the strumming arm.

It's a very common rhythm change, often with vocals; the Beatles featured it in a lot of songs, and it's almost expected in pop music - try singing some songs without the push, and they sound bland.