Jolted by last years untimely death of saxophonist and founding member, Leroi Moore, Dave Matthews Band (DMB) has kindled its passions wisely on Big Whisky and the GrooGrux King, launching its most invigorated effort in years.
Big Whiskey is full of big sounds and big heart—jam packed with Matthews’s acoustic touchstone hymns and hip-shaking grooves. Album producer Rob Cavallo, (Green Day’s multi-platinum American Idiot) successfully channels the band’s surge of emotion over the loss of Moore.
Matthews experiments successfully with heavier grooves and more electric arrangements. Similar to the fashion of American Idiot, Cavallo directs DMB off a familiar, possibly stagnant plateau, into new and exciting directions. Rockers like Shake Me Like A Monkey and Why I Am shake off any potential dust from Dave’s middle aged bones and proves he’s just as worthy fronting edgier sounds.
Matthews’ general demeanor has always been one of shining optimism in spite of a blighted world (“Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” as in the song Tripping Billies) and Big Whiskey is in the same vein. Moore’s end has sparked a new focus for DMB, and much of “Big Whiskey” catches a reflective Matthews eyeing humanitarianism at the local level.
Funny The Way It Is has Matthews in contemplation of why the world flows as it does. Spanning from hunger and people succeeding to a soldiers last breath and babies being born, DMB tackles diverse scenarios in a tune that, between the lyrical content and gripping chorus and bridge, has the potential to induce chills.
DMB also pulls some unconventional punches that lend well to the diverse atmosphere. Lying In The Hands of God is layer upon layer of ethereal bliss where soothing saxophones and hypnotizing guitar-hums partner Matthews’s angelic phrase—“Save your sermons for someone that’s afraid to love/ If you knew what I feel then you couldn’t be so sure/ I'll be right here lying in the hands of God.”
The blues bayou infused romp Alligator Pie is a rowdy banjo-spiked jaunt that gradually escalates to full capacity, cools down, then fully revs the limit until its grand finish.
The title GrooGrux King was actually a nickname for Moore that was used for the album’s title to commemorate their former band mate. DMB pioneers in remembering Moore’s spirit on “Big Whiskey” as well as representing his death as a celebration of life. Dave Matthews Band’s camaraderie joyously greets the senses, embarking on a journey of organically united sounds that are a perfect ode to old Grux himself.
Big Whiskey is full of big sounds and big heart—jam packed with Matthews’s acoustic touchstone hymns and hip-shaking grooves. Album producer Rob Cavallo, (Green Day’s multi-platinum American Idiot) successfully channels the band’s surge of emotion over the loss of Moore.
Matthews experiments successfully with heavier grooves and more electric arrangements. Similar to the fashion of American Idiot, Cavallo directs DMB off a familiar, possibly stagnant plateau, into new and exciting directions. Rockers like Shake Me Like A Monkey and Why I Am shake off any potential dust from Dave’s middle aged bones and proves he’s just as worthy fronting edgier sounds.
Matthews’ general demeanor has always been one of shining optimism in spite of a blighted world (“Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” as in the song Tripping Billies) and Big Whiskey is in the same vein. Moore’s end has sparked a new focus for DMB, and much of “Big Whiskey” catches a reflective Matthews eyeing humanitarianism at the local level.
Funny The Way It Is has Matthews in contemplation of why the world flows as it does. Spanning from hunger and people succeeding to a soldiers last breath and babies being born, DMB tackles diverse scenarios in a tune that, between the lyrical content and gripping chorus and bridge, has the potential to induce chills.
DMB also pulls some unconventional punches that lend well to the diverse atmosphere. Lying In The Hands of God is layer upon layer of ethereal bliss where soothing saxophones and hypnotizing guitar-hums partner Matthews’s angelic phrase—“Save your sermons for someone that’s afraid to love/ If you knew what I feel then you couldn’t be so sure/ I'll be right here lying in the hands of God.”
The blues bayou infused romp Alligator Pie is a rowdy banjo-spiked jaunt that gradually escalates to full capacity, cools down, then fully revs the limit until its grand finish.
The title GrooGrux King was actually a nickname for Moore that was used for the album’s title to commemorate their former band mate. DMB pioneers in remembering Moore’s spirit on “Big Whiskey” as well as representing his death as a celebration of life. Dave Matthews Band’s camaraderie joyously greets the senses, embarking on a journey of organically united sounds that are a perfect ode to old Grux himself.
