Monday Music Review - Dave Matthews Band
Artist - Dave Matthews Band
Album - Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
After four long years, the band returns to form with a new LP that should tantalize the hordes of fans, and should add to an already impressive live performance.
The album opens with "Grux", a long saxophone jam that moves right into the first vocal track "Shake Me Like a Monkey". With the introduction of the first two tracks, there's a feeling that DMB is taking a 'Big Easy' approach to this album, with heavy sax intro's, funky beats, and a bluesy feel. But the album is extremely diverse, moving from themes and styles prevalent in the entire Dave Matthews Band discography.
In the song "Funny the Way It Is" the band channels their best Alanis ("isn't it ironic?"). It's the first single off the album, and the chorus is extremely catchy. Speaking of Alanis, the song seems lifted from the album that had an Alanis duet, Before These Crowded Streets. It's an already classic Dave track, and has all the elements of a DMB song to make it compelling. "Squirm" also takes the BTCS path, with a strange (but cool) snake charmer appeal. This is classic Dave Matthews Band.
"Why I Am" revisits the themes that "Shake Me Like a Monkey" brings. Singing about drinking big whiskey and "dancing with the GrooGrux King", Matthews contemplates the afterlife, ghosts, and religion. The GrooGrux King is, in fact, former saxophist LeRoi Moore, who passed away last year, and much of the album keys in on life and death. Religion is also a key theme in the album, reverberating in "Spaceman" and "Time Bomb". The latter is a very different DMB song, with extremely dark and foreboding undertones. The song starts off fairly acoustic in nature, and transforms into a hard rock track with Matthews screaming "I wanna believe in Jesus". Strong stuff.
There's a lot of Dave's solo album here. "Lying in the Hands of God" and "You & Me". In fact, "You & Me" might be one of DMB's best love songs ever. It's uplifting and as a closing song, it brings a little positive hope to the overall moderately depressing album. The addition of guitarist and friend Tim Reynolds on the album is also apparent, as he goes off in a number of the tracks. The man has skills. Just listen to "Alligator Pie", with all the guitar plucking and strumming, and you know why he's on this album.
Overall, the album doesn't push the envelope with new experiences. More like a comfortable old sweater, Dave & crew are happy with their musical styling, and expect their fans are too.
Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King -
Download - "Funny the Way It Is", "Alligator Pie", "Squirm", "Time Bomb"
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