
What may just be the first relevant album the band has released since Before These Crowded Streets, Big Whiskey… at the very least, attempts to push many of the sonic boundaries that DMB has been skirting for much of the last decade.
Release Date: June 2, 2009
Record Label: RCA
Rating: 88
After nearly a decade of what appeared to be an image crisis for the band, not to mention the inner turmoil which has recently been brought to light, it’s rather disheartening that it took the death of a fellow band member for the band to get back on track. That being said, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is a touching tribute that easily would have pleased LeRoi Moore and is sure to gain attention with fans who were starting to lose faith in the band.
The straightforward adult pop-rocker “Funny the Way It Is” is a deceiving single, as Big Whiskey– as the album art implies– is essentially a menagerie of life. While Matthews has never been the strongest lyricist, the observational writing works very well here, with each track serving as a vignette or slice of life– and it allows the musicianship to take center stage for much of the album.
There are two songs where both aspects, the songwriting and the lyrics, shine however, and that is on “Lying in the Hands of God” and “Squirm.” The former is a somber, intimate piece that between Tim Reynolds wonderful guitar-work and the lush production, could easily be considered one of the best songs the band has produced. The equally staggering “Squirm” is a brooding rocker that has some Middle Eastern musical queues and eventually warps into what is far and away the most interesting musical piece on the album.
Though the album has its rough spots (the clumsy “Alligator Pie” could’ve almost been substituted for the studio version of “Corn Bread”), there are more than enough positives to put a smile on the face of anyone who was ever once a fan. Experiencing Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is a bit like running into an old friend– there’s some familiarity to be sure, but over the years you realize how much has changed in that time. Luckily for them, Dave Matthews Band, in their attempt to find themselves without their venerable founding member, has made their finest album in years.
Dave Matthews Band - “Funny the Way It Is”
Download: dave_matthews_band_-_funny_the_way_it_is_.mp33
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