Having been to seven Dave Matthews Band concerts and owning an iPod exclusively for Dave with more than 1,700 songs (studio and live versions), I would consider myself an avid Dave Matthews Band fan. Was I thrilled when his newest album was released on Sept. 11? I think the answer is obvious.
This is the band’s seventh studio album and the second since the death of its saxophone player, LeRoi Moore, in 2008. Dave Matthews Band came out with its first album in 1993, but its popularity grew in 1994-1997 when songs like “Ants Marching”, “So Much to Say” and “Crash into Me” were released.
Its new album, Away from the World, is exactly what you would expect from Dave. The slow and beautiful song “Mercy” is the most popular song on the album. It’s about hope in the world and strength. “Belly Belly Nice” is an upbeat song about sex and love. “Gaucho” is a song regarding world issues and changing them. Other songs you should know before his Summer 2013 tour are “Broken Things”, “If only”, and “Sweet”.
Being a crazy Dave Matthews Band fan, I am beyond excited for any new music. Is it the absolute best album the band has ever released? Well, probably not. It has a couple great songs that I really enjoy but I think it’s a small step down from their last album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.
In my opinion, the quality of lyrics on Away from the World is not up to par with most of Dave’s other albums. Dave normally writes pretty metaphorical lyrics, but the lyrics on Away from the World are comparatively straightforward. They are obviously conveying a clear message rather than being creative and artistic. On that note, there are a few songs repeating the exact same obvious message. For example: “Mercy” and “Gaucho” are basically both about world issues and how we need to change them. Both of these songs are too straightforward and too similar. On the other hand, Away from the World musically diverse offering a fair share between upbeat songs and slow songs. Overall I give Away from the World 3.5 stars out of 5.
Have you listened to Away from the World yet? Let us know how you would rate it in your comments below!
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