DISClosure: Dave Matthews Band

DISClosure
CD Reviews Of A National Scale

Dave Matthews Band
Everyday

by Jenny Decker

He “did it” alright. For his latest album, Dave Matthews (however permanently) traded in his acoustic guitar for an electric model. And the end product? Everyday is classic Dave — with a twist. From the first single, “I Did It” to the last track, the title track, Matthews and his band have ever so slightly loosened the jam band-like reins that bound them and lurched forward with a more rock collection.

Though received with mixed reviews for those very reasons by Matthews’ diehards, when brought to its core, the album is not all that different from the others in the catalogue. There are rockers (“I Did It”), there are mellow rockers (“The Space Between”), there are sweeping ballads (“Angel”), and there is Dave. And with his twangy vocal gymnastics and sexually infused lyrics does it really matter what guitar he picks up or plugs in?

Helmed by producer Glenn Ballard (who took Alanis Morisette to new levels with Jagged Little Pill) Everyday boasts songs that manage to highlight all things good about the Dave Matthews Band, but without the epic numbers. The 11 tracks are short, sweet, and to the point. And the point? Dave and Co. don’t need six minutes — nothing on this album is over five minutes — to prove they’re one of the most amazing bands around, acoustic or not.

After 10 years, the band has made a leap into unchartered waters, but in forgoing an album filled entirely of the solid jazz-folk numbers his fans have become accustomed to and instead mixing it with a few more guitar licks and a few less jam sessions he has added years of life to his music. A decade later, Dave Matthews Band has made baby steps into a new world.

Buckle up, it might be bumpy, but if Everyday is any indication, it’s going to be one hell of a ride!