Dave Matthews Band
Stand Up

THE REVIEW

New album from the Dave Matthews Band, one of the most prolific groups of recent years, especially in live performances, the true art and strong point of this band.
Every release from this group tops the American charts, why are they almost completely unknown in Europe? Their American roots are strong and perhaps they might mislead or alienate those who perceive traditional American rock as old or too mature. The songs often extend into various minutes of sessions as if they were on stages where people in ecstasy admire them for the harmony they create, adding variations to their songs without making them boring or too different to lose the original creative genius. The real reason why DMB doesn't sell in Europe and especially in Italy? Honestly, I believe their strength is the main cause of their European downfall. The live performances in the old continent can be counted on one hand... their strength, the word of mouth, the emotion of getting lost in their notes, and everything that their concert can provide us Europeans is given in dribs and drabs.
The albums are all very beautiful but difficult for superficial listening, and we must admit that in today's world not everyone can dedicate themselves to a deep listening, and their music on disc is much less impactful.

This new album doesn’t say anything new about the original DMB sound, but fortunately, it strongly affirms their return to their true sound and their love for jam sessions, lost with the last few albums. The compositions are all very rich and full of sounds. To confirm this spirit of fun and jam in the album's construction, they set up a webcam throughout the year to seal the composition of the songs.
"Stand Up" is a traditionalist, progressive (in the political sense, they supported Kerry in the elections without any luck) and well-played album. My hope is that they will come on tour with some dates in Italy, and if my opinion matters, go see them. Don’t worry about having their discography or knowing all the songs, go and you will have an important musical experience.

I have focused more on the Band than on the album and I apologize, but without these premises, listening to this album would be disappointing; in the end, is it an album I recommend? Well, if you don't know DMB, it can be a good introduction to them, even if it is not their masterpiece. It is the album, after the last 2 uninspired ones, that will surely make them the most praised band in America again. The rating on the band is 5, the album is a 3/4.
Happy Listening!