Anticipation leading up to the release of Matchbox Twenty’s North, their first full-length studio album in ten years, has been running high this year. They did release Exhile On Mainstream back in 2007, but that only featured seven new songs, namely, the reasonably popular “How Far We’ve Come”. So the big question becomes, having not released a full album of original material in this long, does North meet expectations?
It’s an odd thing with a band like Matchbox Twenty. Often listeners are eager to hear how a group evolves with time and to see a willingness to try new things, but with Matchbox Twenty it’s almost like they have been given a free pass to stay the same because that is the way people like them. They are a living embodiment of nostalgia. It must be that way with bands that hit the scene in the ‘90s. They are an anomaly of sorts in that people just want more of the same from them. If they do release a drastically different album there seems to be a sentiment of, “What are you doing? Don’t you know what you’re supposed to be doing?” It may not necessarily be a bad thing; it’s just odd.
North opens with what ends up being its best song, “Parade”. It has a catchy melody line sung by the distinct-sounding Rob Thomas. It feels the most like the Matchbox Twenty of the late ‘90s and early 2000s.
It’s rather ironic that the weakest song of the album, “She’s So Mean”, ended up being the band’s leadoff single. They really shot themselves in the foot with that one when they could have picked a stronger track like “Parade” or “Overjoyed” to let the listening public know that they are back and that they mean business.
Another song that will make some listeners cock their heads is “Put Your Hands Up”, which feels like it was influenced by the solo career of lead singer Rob Thomas, namely, by his debut studio album …Something To Be, which featured the horrible middle-aged white woman booty shaking song “Lonely No More”. “Put Your Hands Up” is more of a dance anthem, which a band like Matchbox Twenty should just leave alone.
The album ends with another strong and sentimental track “Sleeping At the Wheel”. It’s theme explores the notion of not living your life dictated by someone else’s standards of living – how that can leave you feeling like you’re “sleeping at the wheel.”
North >won’t make it onto any ‘Best of 2012’ lists, but it is definitely good enough that Rob Thomas should seriously consider allowing Matchbox Twenty to take the number one position in his life over his solo career. At the end of the day, it’s a decent middle-of-the-road album that holds its own, but ultimately does not stack up to 1996’s Yourself or Someone Like You and 2000’s Mad Season. To give fans a specific reference point, it’s on par with 2002’s More Than You Think You Are. Whether or not North is an album that marks the second coming of Matchbox Twenty remains to be seen. At this point, they are still making good music but are mostly appealing to their longtime fans.
MP3 Stream: “Parade“
