They say that, when something truly great comes along, it blows all of its competition out of the water. If that's the case, then most of the music that has been released so far this decade is officially "beached," thanks to Busted Stuff, the latest project from the Dave Matthews Band, a group that has achieved near-legend status after a relatively short existence. Not only does this new album top just about everything else from the past year or two (with a few notable exceptions, like Over the Rhine and Radiohead), but it sends the DMB's prior records running home to their mommies.
Perhaps the best way to summarize Busted Stuff is with Dave's own words. On "Where Are You Going," the album's first single, Matthews speaks to someone "searching for answers under the stars," promising them that "if along the way, you are growing weary/you can rest with me until a brighter day." Unlike previous Dave records, which have only hinted at the man's true songwriting potential, Busted Stuff brings us an album sleeve full of soul-searching, as opposed to the moral bankruptcy and contempt for God that we've come to expect from Dave Matthews over the years. Busted Stuff is a humbling and encouraging collection of tales from spiritual pilgrims, wandering through a broken, suicidal world with hopes of finding ultimate truth.
Worth shelling out sixteen bucks alone is the album's dramatic closer, "Bartender." The strange marriage of a bouncy saxophone riff and a machine gun blitz of snare drumming, "Bartender" joins U2's "Wake Up Dead Man" and Remy Zero's "Impossibility" as an epic album closer of a grand scale. Musically, the song is more akin to the chilling drama of the aforementioned U2 tune, though the lyrics have more in common with the spiritual rebirth of "Impossibility" than the anger and confusion of "Wake Up Dead Man." "Bartender" is the sound of desperation and humility, and Dave's spiritual analogy ("Bartender, you see/ the wine that's drinking me/ is the wine that strung Judas up from the devil's tree/ it's roots go deep, deep in the ground") is absolutely beautiful. Whoever says that pop music is spiritually and morally dry needs to give this cut a listen.
Of course, "Bartender" was chosen to be the final track for a reason. It's by far the most emotional and dramatically spiritual tune on the record. But even the more standard Dave ditties show some impressive growth. Take "Captain," for example. The song is more of a conventional Dave Matthews love song, and we all know what that means- suggestive, sexual undertones abound. But things are a bit different this time around. Instead of giving his hormones a pen and letting them write the song, as Matthews has done in the past, he actually shows a desire for self-control and restraint here, musing that there is a "mutiny brewing" in his head.
If that doesn't convince you that Dave has turned over a new leaf, just lend your ear to album highlight "Grey Street," the story of a girl, who, like Dave, is a spiritual wanderer, a seeker of truth. She lives on "the corner of Grey Street and the end of the world," and "she feels like kicking out all the windows and setting fire to this life." Introspection? On a Dave Matthews Band record? Incredible! Just call him Dave Matthews: New Leaf Turner!
Of course, one mustn't approach Busted Stuff as a Dave Matthews solo album. He does, after all, have a Band with him. And what a Band it is! Fiddle player Boyd Tinsley and saxophonist LeRoi Moore paint what would be a conventional acoustic pop/rock record with bright shades of jazz and bluegrass, and it is because of these men that the DMB is regarded as one of the most original and creative on the music scene today.
Even more impressive is the group's rhythm section, composed of the uncanny Stefan Lessard and Carter Beauford. In fact, these timekeepers are technically superior to almost anyone else playing today, with only U2's Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton as serious competition. Lessard adds a nice, chunky groove to the lightest of songs, while Beauford's complex, jazzy drumming adds a sophisticated texture to the blandest songs on the record.
Individual praises aside, these five men are really at their best when they're playing together as one unified band. Sure, they're famous for flashy solos- check out Tinsley's wicked violin solo on "Raven," or LeRoi's smokey saxophone lick on "Where Are You Going." These guys clearly passed Showing Off 101. But it's songs like the tasty, thick jazz brew of "Captain" or the laid back title cut- songs that find the band playing as together as one- that really demand your attention.
Good bands are usually noted either for having deep, poetic lyrics or mesmerizing, original music. Great bands are known for both. Until Busted Stuff released, Dave Matthews Band was merely good, excelling as musicians but falling short as writers. Apparently, though, "God shuffled by" in the life of Dave Matthews, causing him to stop and reexamine his priorities, because this year's model of the Dave Matthews Band offers one of the most moving hours of soul-searching you're likely to hear all year, all the while maintaining their status as one of the most sonically advanced bands of our generation. They say that, when something truly great comes along, it blows all of its competition out of the water. Well, Busted Stuff, then, must be a mighty tidal wave, because the beach of the music world is cluttered with riff-raff, but the Dave Matthews Band says the water is just fine.
Review Summary
1. What does the album sound like?
Like nothing you've ever heard before, save for the DMB's previous albums. These guys effortlessly fuse jazz, rock, and bluegrass into a lovely collage of saxophone, acoustic guitar, violin, and one of the best rhythm teams money can buy.
2. Is this album well made?
Immensely. It may have been rushed just a tad, but you'll hardly notice. The music is intricate and expertly-played, while the lyrics are introspective, humble, and poetic.
3. Will you enjoy this album?
If you're already a fan of Dave Matthews, or if you're in the mood for an organic, lively alternative to the heavily-computerized fluff they're playing on the radio these days.
4. Final Score: 4.5 out of 5.
4.5/5
Other coverage for this album
The Rebel Base 2002Reviewed by David MartinI've determined that I'm not worthy to be called a true Dave Matthews fan. His band's new album, Busted Stuff, sounds much like a broken record to me. I guess the fact that I liked a lot of the non-acoustic tracks on their last studio album, Everyday, should have tipped me off. Either that or the fact that I'm not as keen on their sprawling, double-disc live albums as most of the fans are. Don't…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Matthew LuterBy now most rock fans know the story: before the Dave Matthews Band's hit album Everyday was unleashed upon the world in early 2001, the band had worked on a batch of darker tunes with producer Steve Lillywhite. The band decided against releasing these songs, but they wound up widely circulated via Internet music-sharing services under the title The Lillywhite Sessions. The legit album released…Similar sounding releases
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