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Matchbox Twenty is back
with their highly anticipated album "More Than You Think You
Are". While this album serves the purpose of entertainment,
the album is heavily burdened with pressure. In 1996, the band
released their debut album "Yourself Or Someone Like You". The
album took the world by storm selling over 12 million copies.
Personally I felt that their debut was one of the most
solidified albums ever released. However, the band would
return to Earth shortly after releasing their sophomore album,
"Mad Season". Their second album release resulted in
relatively dismal sales (~4 million copies sold) leading
critics to believe that the members of Matchbox Twenty are
indeed human. With that in mind, the band is back and under
the microscope once again.
Matchbox Twenty's third release comes six years after their
debut, 2 years after their disappointing sophomore effort. The
new album, "More Than You Think You Are" is a collection of
twelve new songs (the same as their debut) ticking the minute
hand slightly past fifty.
Matchbox Twenty emerged into the spotlight back in 1996, as
they introduced a unique sound that would attach to them like
glue. As they dropped their second album, onto the laps of
their listeners, the sound that had propelled them into
stardom was buzzing loud and clear. The similar sounding set
of tracks (featured on "Mad Season") caused the album to sit
too close to "Yourself Or Someone Like You". Had they left
they creativity behind or had they simply ran out?
This new album helps answer that critical question by offering
up an all new sound from a band, which has many expectations
laid out for it. The new sound attempts to cover up their
original sound, but no matter how hard they try, their
"staple" sound shines through in perfect amounts. Front man
Rob Thomas has led the band in a new direction, while
remaining stuck to their roots. The band's evolution provides,
to the listener, a sound that is both comforting and
compelling. A few tracks (1 possibly 2) sound as if they were
pulled off of their past albums, but the majority contain a
sense of newness, a refreshing newness. This album is an
in-depth approach to the genre that has the ability to
encompass the crowd, suck them in, and cause them to follow
behind.
This album shows off the band's maturity, both lyrically and
instrumentally. The songwriting style remains the same, but
their execution has excelled leaving them the ability to
expand their limits and create music that, in the past, they
may have overlooked.
A BRIEF track by track
1- Feel - A nice opener that opens slowly, but once the
rolling begins it never looks back. The track is not
necessarily hard, but it is fluent, passes the message across
well, and expresses a mild hook. The track is not the most
impressive track on the list, but it is solid nonetheless.
2- Disease – This is the first single from the album; a single
that is heavily overplayed. For that reason, I am not an avid
fan of the track. This song tends to bring back the exact
sound that has been found on each of their previous releases.
The song is solid, but less appealing (to me) thanks to great
American radio.
3 - Bright Lights - A slow tune that immediately showcases Rob
Thomas at his best. The track offers soothing lyrics, vivid
imagery, as well as a nice fluent flow. The track is non
abrasive and provides an environment that most listeners will
appreciate.
4 - Unwell - During the initial stage of this song you may
find yourself confused, as the introduction is not
characteristic of Matchbox Twenty, but that sound soon changes
and converts into one of the best songs on the album. This
song is also relatively slow, but quick enough that you mind
is always at attention. Thomas works his magic on this song by
using his voice to reinforce the effectiveness of the hook.
Incredible.
5 - Cold - Heavy guitar rifts and a melodic bass provide the
underlying theme for this song. However, neither instrument is
blatantly obvious during the chorus. Instead the chorus
features a blurry sound complimented by the front man. It is
evident that Thomas provides the band with excellent vocal
sound, but I would not discourage the band from offering us
(the listeners) a little more instrumentation. Either way, the
song is very well done, but after a few listens my thoughts
began mixing with boredom.
6 - All I Need - This song is not a head turner, nor is it one
of the strongest on the list. It moves at a slow pace, offers
little variety, and provides an overall sound that is not
attractive. In contrast, the songs message was well thought
out and executed nicely.
7 - Hand Me Down - Once again the band looks to move through
the set list at a slow pace, in fact this is probably the
slowest song, of the 12. However, the accompanying Thomas
elegantly begins to relay the message, in an up-tempo fashion,
wrapping the song up quite comfortably. Matchbox Twenty are
known for their moving lyrics; lyrics that give the average
Joe the opportunity to relate to the band. This track is no
exception.
8 - Could I Be You - This song is a mild song that lost me
from the beginning. Alike many of the previous songs it begins
moving at a slow pace. While it does pick up slightly, I must
say that my attention was far gone. Since that listen, I have
replayed it over and over. My final conclusion: The song
contains a remarkable message, but to my dismay doesn’t have
enough weight to carry it. This is track that lacks any luster.
9 - Downfall - Thomas fills the air from the starting point.
The guitars and often-forgot-about drums fill the void in the
background. Once again the track reaches the chorus and gets
filled with that blurry wall of music behind the vocals. Once
again, I label the track as boring and stuck in a repetitive
rut. The only aspect dragging it from the rut is the gospel
singers accompanying Thomas near the conclusion. The added
vocals are a nice touch, but do not revive the otherwise
boring tune.
10 - Soul - As far as lyrical messages, this track outdoes the
rest. However, the musical contribution is not nearly as well
executed. Soul is much better than the previous two tracks,
but offers a sound that only begs to be as good as the albums
first few songs.
11 - You're So Real - Finally the band manages to pull the
listener back to full attention. The song not only features
typical Thomas lyrics, but the song is.....fun. It is an
upbeat off-the-wall (according to their previous material)
approach that sends life back into the album.
12 - The Difference + Hidden Track - An eight minute journey
that adds closure to an impressive set list. The song has a
'moderate' tempo, but better exemplifies the vocals in
conjunction with calming instrumentation. As far as the hidden
section, you’ll have to listen to find out :)
Final Thoughts
This album falls in between "Yourself Or Someone Like You" and
"Mad Season", in regards to my personal liking. On that note,
I also feel that the quality aspect would also follow along
those same lines. This album is not a disappointment, nor an
album that will sale 12 million copies. Matchbox20 fans should
begin licking their chops if they haven’t already, but to the
other listeners out there I wouldn’t label this as a must
have. Don’t get me wrong, I really like this album, but it
isn’t going to generate a stir in comparison to their debut.
It is a very solid album with a surface laden with a few dull
spots. If remotely enjoy the sound of Matchbox Twenty then I
suggest you pick up a copy, but if you leery then of course
sample first.
On that note I leave you with a rating of 4 planets.
Track Listing:
01. Feel
02. Disease
03. Bright Lights
04. Unwell
05. Cold
06. All I Need
07. Hand Me Down
08. Could I Be You
09. Downfall
10. Soul
11. You're So Real
12. The Difference + Hidden Track
Ramz Rating: 4 out of 5
Planets
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