What can one say about a new Dave Matthews Band CD? All that really comes to mind is, “It sounds like Dave Matthews.” And that’s about it.
But for all those fans who are looking for something bigger and better, DMB’s fourth studio album, “Everyday,” does supply us with some new sounds combined with Dave’s unmistakable voice. But don’t jump on it too fast, because you might crash.
That the band’s single “I Did It” will be overplayed by every radio station until people forget there was a time they even liked the song is a safe prediction. With its insistent bantering and repetition of the chorus, it sticks in the head like a bad commercial jingle.
But even the best are allowed to make mistakes. With the band’s other creative talents, lyrics can be compromised if needed. Sometimes.
“Everyday” may start out a little slow, but as the listeners get used to the new sound of the CD and it becomes familiar, the music seeps into them in the same manner they are used to. Except the band experiments with a more “rock n’ roll” feel, moving away from the traditional 15 minute compositions.
In the simplest terms, Dave is trying rock harder, and it just doesn’t work.
Lyrically, “Everyday” lags. After “Under the Table and Dreaming” and “Crash,” avid DMB listeners are probably expecting some “words to live by” in this album. Well, they won’t find those here. The live albums DMB have released makes its studio-produced work sound almost irritating by comparison, considering the band is at its best when playing live.
Regardless of the new sound and somewhat disappointing lyrics, this CD is an inevitable addition to one’s collection solely based on the fact that it is the Dave Matthews Band.
After a couple of weeks of it being overplayed on campus bars and house parties, it will probably start to sound better. But until then, stick to the previous live jams that have already been exploited.
