Everyday: Same Old Stuff
by Leigh Dawson ‘01

As a Dave Matthews Band fan since 1995, when I bought Under the Table and Dreaming as an excuse to talk to a cute boy, I was eagerly awaiting the release of their newest album, Everyday.  Delayed once because it was not completed before the band’s summer tour, and again when the previously recorded tracks were scrapped for new songs with a new producer, the album had already reached mythic proportions among the band’s fans by the time it was actually released of February 27^th.  Excited to hear it, I put it on, and it promptly became background noise.  It was pleasant, but there were few moments that caught my attention.  It wasn’t until late in the album when the unmistakable sound of Carlos Santana on “Mother Father” and the voice of South African vocalist Vusi Mahlasela on the sweet and bouncy title track that also finally showcases the instrumental talent within the band, that I was drawn into listening. 

While most fans will agree that the band really comes into their own during live performances, they have always found a way to reflect that improvisational spirit in their studio albums.  Everyday, however is so slickly produced that it has eliminated the roughness and originality that I always considered assets rather than faults. Even Dave Matthews' voice, which often seems out of place next to the polished talents of the other musicians within the group, is smoother and fuller.  That may be due to the production or to the fact that the music fails to explore the emotional intensity that is hinted at in the lyrics for the sake of creating catchy, hummable tunes.  The musical arrangement offers very few surprises, and at times it may as well be saying, “Listen up everybody, here comes the chorus!”

It would be easy to place the blame on Glenn Ballard, the producer hired to replace long time DMB producer Steve Lillywhite. However, he has only done what he does best; create radio friendly hit songs as he did with Aerosmith, Alanis Morissette and others.  The impossible task of getting the chorus of “I Did It” out of your head is a testament to his skill.  There are many good songs on the album, including “The Space Between,” which is slated to be the next single off the album.   The “Crash Into Me” of this album, it is destined for Prom Theme greatness.

DMB, however, seems to be too concerned with pleasing the pop-obsessed audience that buys records, rather than exploring the possibilities for such a unique group.  Perhaps most disappointing of all is the lack of solos for the rest of the band.  Few groups have the talent of one musician like Stefan Lessard, Leroi Moore, Boyd Tinsley, or Cater Beauford, let alone all four, and the fact that they are not heard more throughout the album is shameful.  DMB is the rare band that can get radio airplay for a seven-minute song, yet they are not taking advantage of it.  After ten years as a group, selling millions of records and playing live before millions of people, they have established a fan base that guarantees their survival for years to come.  They are at the point in their careers that they can most afford to take risks and be innovative, rather than pander to the mainstream.  “Everyday” is a good album and more original than most music being released by major labels lately, but it could have been much better.

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