Away From the World by The Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews has been putting out records yearly for over a decade. The band might well have released more live albums, certainly in such a short time, as any band this side of the Grateful Dead.

I have always been a fan and continue to be so. At certain times a little Dave Matthews grooving in the background is the perfect soundtrack to one's life.

Today the new album from DMB was released and I have already this morning given it a listen on Spotify. God Bless Spotify.

First and foremost we all know that ninety percent of Dave Matthews songs sound very similar. While almost artists have a niche there is something about Matthews voice that makes his niche deeper, at least seemingly so. What I also find that in the last several albums of original material Matthews has put out, there is no other way to say it, a good amount of filler has been present. This does not mean an album is not strong, and in fact I am sure the DMB heads that go to all the concerts treat, correctly for them, each new album as being sang from the mountaintop. However, for me, the last album that was overpoweringly strong was Everyday which had a depth of songs that made it a keeper. Around the same time Matthews released his first live album with Tim Reynolds, this album was original and excellent. I must admit with the five, six, seven, I am not sure live albums that have come since, it might just be too much, too many choices, nothing outside of covers of All Along the Watchtower and Down By The River are memorable. With Matthews it is almost as if he has double jeopardy. Not only does much of his material sound the same but there is just too damn much of it to feel over impressed with any of it.


The new album is, on first listen, not strong. As I listen the first promoted single Mercy is only average. Not a song I can see myself turning up, or stopping the channel search on XM radio for. Don't laugh, with all the choices we have if it is not a song that you stop for, or that when your thirteen daughter gets in the car and goes for the radio that you do not say " Wait I am listening to this song," if it is not a song like that then it is just not special. And this is the problem for Dave Matthews in general and this album in particular. It is totally forgettable.

One song, just one, on the album is of note. A song called Sweet has the trademark Matthews sound, acoustic, with high drawn out notes this is a fantastic song. That is it though, everything else will soon be in the dustbin. Perhaps for an artist with a catalog as deep as Mr. Matthews one new song to add to the concert list permanently is about right.

For me though thinking of songs like Ants Marching, Crash into Me and even more recently Grace is Gone, and the brilliant Gravedigger, this album has to be a significant disappointment.