Dave Matthews Band

Everyday

Not quite up to par . . .

Review Score:

(6/10)
I am a huge Dave Matthews Band fan. I own all of their CDs, both studio and live, and I must say, this is by far my least favorite disc of theirs. Unlike other fans, who didn't even like the melodies and lyrics of the disc, I didn't mind the pop-oriented hooks and less deep lyrics. However, while listening to other albums by the band, it shows how much more this album could have been. First of all, where are Boyd [Violin player] and LeRoi [saxophone player]? The first thing that popped into my mind after hearing the CD is how these two alone could have saved some of these songs. You get a hint of some bluesy horns near the end of When The World Ends . . . why weren't those used the whole song? Violin could have greatly enhanced slower songs such as If I Had It All and Sleep To Dream Her. And on songs like So Right, the possibility for musical jams are so blatantly apparent that you sit there and wonder why the hell the band didn't even think to let those two shine? But it's not just those two who's skills are missing. Carter, the drummer, is known for insanely rhythmic drumming and complicated percussion patterns. On this CD, the drum notes are essentially formulaic pop drum patterns.

Another problem I have with this CD is that when you go to a concert, the songs are tweaked in ways that make them more accesible to the band. For instance, So Right jams infinitely and the poppy synthesized horns and electronic bleeps are gone. While paling to some of their other work, it's a welcome addition to a concert. Which makes me wonder why they didn't play with the songs to give them a more DMB feel. I think the one thing that supporters of this album say is that fans aren't ready for change, which I do not believe to be true. The album released before this, Before These Crowded Streets, changed the band's style substantially, but it was good quality music that the band had obviously explored before recording. Everyday just seems kind of lazy and sloppy in comparison, and pales at what it could have been. There are highlights though, like So Right, What You Are, When The World Ends and Everyday, which evolved from a classic DMB song #36, so consequently that one song sounds a lot like the old band. This is an OK CD, and you should purchase it if you liked the singles, but if you want a slightly different DMB get Before These Crowded Streets, and if you want to see poppier music done justice, get Under The Table & Dreaming. Those two CDs are much better than this one.

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