While I don’t do it often, the significance of the first Matchbox Twenty album in ten years makes it worthy of a song by song review, with the exception of “She’s So Mean,” since it has been out for a couple months.
The opening track “Parade,” sounds the most like classic Matchbox Twenty, with a fairly simple guitar part and Rob Thomas singing his heart out. In some ways it reminds me of the Goo Goo Dolls stuff from the nineties.
The third track “Overjoyed,” is a simple ballad, Rob Thomas sounds great on this track, and sings with a lot of emotion. As is the case with “Parade,” the arrangement is simple and that is what makes the song work.
“Put Your Hands Up,” sounds like Maroon 5. It’s a good song, very danceable. The next track “Our Song,” is another danceable poppy track with a synth bass and electronic drums, and it has a great hook.
“I Will,” is an acoustic song, and is absolutely beautiful in its simplicity. The song starts out with just Rob Thomas backed by an acoustic guitar and then a piano and drums played with brushes join in later, along with some strings. It reminds me of some of Paul McCartney’s ballads like “Put it There,” and “Somedays.”
“English Town,” is a haunting mid-tempo number, there is a lot going on in the song. It starts slow and then builds to a climax. It has a big sound, and would be a great closing number for a concert.
“How Long,” has a carnival like beat, and yet structurally the song sounds like something off their first album.
“Radio,” is a great song. Part of it sounds a lot like Adam Ant’s “Goody Two Shoes.” The beat is really catchy, I think it would have been a great lead off single, catchy beat with a horn section and some fifties style guitar riffs. It’s definitely one of my favorites.
“The Way” is another great song. What makes it stand out is that it is the only song that doesn’t feature Rob Thomas on lead vocals. I am a bit embarrassed to say that I can’t find any information on the song since it hasn’t been officially released and thus I don’t know who is on lead vocals. Whoever it is, they sound great.
“Like Sugar,” is a fun song with a repetitive chorus and a catchy beat, but my favorite track on the album is the closing song, “Sleeping at the Wheel.” It reminds me of some of U2’s best songs like “40” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Live, it could be a real showstopper.
As you can tell, there really isn’t a bad song on the album, which is an impressive feat in the post-album era. I highly recommend “North,” if you are looking to add some new music to your collection.
