It’s been a little over a week since the new Dave Matthews Band album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King came out and, as a longtime devoted fan, I feel obligated to give my thoughts on the subject.
I have to say, I’m kind of loving it. The fact that this comes as a surprise to me makes me realize that I may have gotten...not blasé about DMB, but let's just say that I may have been taking them for granted in the recent past. Big Whiskey is making me realize what I love about DMB all over again. Of all of their past albums, this feels most akin to Before These Crowded Streets to me. Both have an extreme variety of musical styles that really draw attention to the DMB’s unique sound. Both have this overall dramatic mood and seem to warrant listening to them from beginning to end. It almost seems that this CD could have come out right after Before These Crowded Streets, instead of with three others in between. And although there are gems that I love from each of those three -Stand Up, Busted Stuff, and yes, even Everyday (even though some fans won’t admit that)- this is the first of DMB’s “new” albums that I feel like I can really love. Of the entire album, I have a feeling that “Why I Am” will be the song that I won’t be able to stop playing all summer long. It's a great song, has a lot of potential for live versions, and the lyrics allude to the band’s history, pay tribute to LeRoi Moore (a.k.a. GrooGrux), and slyly refer back to older songs in a way that I think hardcore DMB fans should really like.
I have to say, I’m kind of loving it. The fact that this comes as a surprise to me makes me realize that I may have gotten...not blasé about DMB, but let's just say that I may have been taking them for granted in the recent past. Big Whiskey is making me realize what I love about DMB all over again. Of all of their past albums, this feels most akin to Before These Crowded Streets to me. Both have an extreme variety of musical styles that really draw attention to the DMB’s unique sound. Both have this overall dramatic mood and seem to warrant listening to them from beginning to end. It almost seems that this CD could have come out right after Before These Crowded Streets, instead of with three others in between. And although there are gems that I love from each of those three -Stand Up, Busted Stuff, and yes, even Everyday (even though some fans won’t admit that)- this is the first of DMB’s “new” albums that I feel like I can really love. Of the entire album, I have a feeling that “Why I Am” will be the song that I won’t be able to stop playing all summer long. It's a great song, has a lot of potential for live versions, and the lyrics allude to the band’s history, pay tribute to LeRoi Moore (a.k.a. GrooGrux), and slyly refer back to older songs in a way that I think hardcore DMB fans should really like.
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