Dave Matthews Band Album: “Some Devil”

For anyone expecting this album to sound like Dave Matthews Band, don't bother buying it. It's not dmb. I don't think it was intended to sound anything like dmb. That's the beauty of it. It's a very smooth, mellow, non-jammed-out collection of tunes with some good lyricism and nice melodies. Unlike many dmb songs, Dave's voice isn't so much the focal point of the songs. Instead, his voice is more of an instrument, blended in with the other instruments. His vocals are more reminiscent of how his shows with Tim Reynolds sound. These songs aren't nearly as "catchy" as the usual dmb favorites, but many are quite moving, both musically and lyrically. I have a feeling that this is the album Dave wanted to make, for his own creative expression, and not necessarily to appease the critics or dmb fans. If you're a fan of Dave, you'll love the album. If you're a fan of Dave with the band, this album sounds nothing like his work with dmb. Personally, I love many of the songs on this album, like most of them, and don't really dislike any of them. (This coming from a huge fan of dmb). I'd call it "brilliant" if I didn't already expect that of Dave. :)

I admire Dave Matthews. Not because he has been able to front one of the most succussful, yet underrated bands of the modern era. And not because he has created so many songs with DMB that have become so mainstream. I admire Dave because he is willing to take risks as an artist. Whether its scrapping a tired, yet triumphant formula and going electric in DMB's album, "Everyday" or going solo on his latest disc, "Some Devil." It is solo when we finally see Dave for who HE is. At first listen, this album is a lightweight compared to the rhythms and rhymes of DMB. However, he soon begins to showcase a new, more inspired sound. One that takes notes from Jack Johnson, or even Coldplay. And all throughout, Dave pens his lyrics with references to many songs from DMB. This album almost represents everything he wanted to say in a band, yet couldn't because it was just that. Immediacy was not his goal here; in fact,it is obvious to me that he worked hard to create a piece of artwork, not just ear candy. A beautiful and much needed move for music fans and the industry.

When listening to Some Devil, whether one is a DMB veteran or being introduced, he/she must take into consideration that these are times of woe and Dave, like many of us, is going to reflect upon his world: his environment with America & its politics, his life, heart, and soul. Lately, he has been dealing with serious issues, just as well as anyone else would if he felt his loves and passions losing vigor and sustain. The songs on this new album are not always exposed or regularly comprehended like songs of radio and billboard charts. These melodies are so deep within that Dave probably could not speak them as accurately as he might have wanted to. And with one his songs, An' Another Thing, he just doesn't want to the sing the lyrics out in the open, exposed to judgemental ears. How would the media take the idea that he is singing about war, death, and woe? Especially, with his "lover" persona. Radiohead, another band I hold in such high esteem... they can get away with it, with the "spooky" and "creepy" image granted by mainstream opinion (I have to laugh at the thought, simply because I know how in touch spiritually they are). I listened pretty closely to An' Another Thing and it was just as upsetting as the first time when it sounded like "rain on my head" 36 times with chords of orchestratal crying. And then, for Dave to speak about love as an inevitable dissipation in the title song, Some Devil... I would not stand for this album to be cast off as mainstream pop, lacking ideology and substance, or non-inivative. It is sad and depressing, with moments of ectasy, as life itself holds, but as true to the spirit of a man who has seen so much good and bad that his heart just aches. This album itself swells.

When I first bought Some Devil, I liked it but didn't really consider it to be anything terribly special. However, after listening to it a few times, the album really began to open up to me. If you are looking for an intelligent album that will take a little commitment, you will really enjoy it! The fact that there are not really any high-energy songs on here (with the glaring exception of Gravedigger) allows Dave to put a lot more meaning into his songs. In regards to Gravedigger, it is above and beyond any song that I have heard in a long time--the music alone is great, but the lyrics are so haunting it gives me chills every time I listen to it. If you buy this album for no other reason, buy it just for this song! Another nice touch was An' Another Thing, the completed version of A Little Thing from Live at Luther. I loved the song on Luther but was somewhat frustrated by its lack of closure--a void that was filled on this version. However, if you are not familiar with the Luther version and the context of the song itself, you may not derive as much enjoyment from it as I did. Other songs on this album that really stand out are Stay or Leave, Save Me, Grey Blue Eyes, and Too High. If you are looking for an alternative to the shallow crap that most artists are putting out these days, I highly recommend this CD.

I LOVE this album. I confess to being a music snob. I mostly listen to indie bands and obscure music. In my circle of friends and fellow music fans Dave Matthews was always looked at as kind of a joke, an overrated singer/songwriter who rehashes the same formula over and over again, leaving us a lot of reason to make fun of him. But the other night as I flipped through the channels on TV, I caught an interview with Mr. Matthews on the Charlie Rose talk show on PBS and was quite impressed by Dave's interview promoting this album and his solo performance of "Gravedigger." I thought that I should give this guy another chance so I went out this morning and purchased "Some Devil" and I am completely blown away. This album is remarkably beautiful. The production is amazing, the songwriting is brilliant and Dave's voice is incredibly emotive. I highly recommend this album, especially to the critics and indie snobs such as myself. There's so much happening here. He seems to shed the whole "jam band" thing here despite the involvement of jam band king Trey Anastasio and it's a refreshing sound. Though I don't think I'll ever be a huge Dave Matthews Band fan, I'll definitely start defending him based upon this album. Good music is good music, regardless of how hip it is to like an artist. This is good music, very very very very good music.