The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Matthews creates heavy solo work

Dave Matthews has been through a lot — the death of his father when he was nine, the murder of his oldest sister, the violent effects of apartheid. After all, it was the apartheid struggle that caused Matthews to leave his native South Africa so he could avoid a draft that would have had him fighting against blacks.

Matthews, who loves to go off on tangents (as seen in live DMB performances) has referred to Some Devil as just that — another one of his tangents. What started as just some tinkering in his home studio in Seattle quickly turned into something bigger. He enlisted the help of Phish’s Trey Anastasio on five tracks, and longtime friend and collaborator Tim Reynolds (The two put out 1999’s Live At Luther College and have another live album on the way.) appears on nine of Some Devil’s 13 tracks. Eight songs also get treatment from the Seattlemusic Group’s string and horn sections. But help aside, what you mostly get is Matthews.

The opening track “Dodo” looks at how modern-day society has affected and changed the world. Backed by the horns of New Orleans’ Dirty Dozen Brass Band, it creates an appropriate introduction for the rest of the album.

The use of guitars — acoustic, electric and sitar — propel “So Damn Lucky” forward, as it tells the tale of a man in the middle of a car accident who is confronted with death, questioning his fate with the repeated line “What will soon become of me?”

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“Save Me” takes a southern gospel turn with the addition of an organ and the backing vocals of the Total Experience Gospel Choir, while the jazzy funk of “Up And Away” send the listener soaring with the chorus “Everyday, everyday with you/Every little thing you do the way you do/Little darlin’, in your eyes/Got me all up and away/You get me high.”

Matthews’ smoky voice and aching humming make “Grey Blue Eyes” (which Anastasio helped compose) one of the most deep-moving tracks on the album, but “Gravedigger” tops them all.

Fans were first exposed to this song more than a year ago when Matthews started playing it acoustically at live shows. The heavy, somber subject matter sends chills down your spine as a haunting Matthews asks, “Gravedigger/When you dig my grave/Could you make it shallow/So that I can feel the rain?”

The only blunder on Some Devil was the decision to electrify the song and add percussion and bass, but Matthews redeems himself by including an acoustic version at the end, perhaps the best track on the entire album.

Since the release of his solo album, Matthews has reassured fans that his break from his full-time band is anything but permanent. In fact, the band has made preliminary plans to head back into the studio in the early part of next year. But until then, Some Devil gives us a warm, sincere look at the man behind DMB, with lyrics and easygoing beats that only get better with multiple listenings.

Grade: A