Styles: Jam Bands, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Track Picks: "Dodo," "Gravedigger"
Review
It wouldn't seem that a solo album from Dave Matthews would be all that different from a Dave Matthews Band album, since he's not only the singer/songwriter/guitarist; he leads the band and gives it its very name. That assumption turns out to be incorrect, since Some Devil sounds and feels much different than any DMB effort. With Some Devil, Matthews has turned in a brooding, moody album that attempts to extend the breakthrough of Busted Stuff, which signaled a considerable leap forward for Matthews as a songwriter and musician, finding him tackling darker territory. Here, he turns up the darkness even more, but loses the fluid musicality that came with DMB's loose-limbed jams. In a way, it's an attempt to shore up his credentials as a singer/songwriter, something that has always been overshadowed by his brood's status as jam-band favorites, and Some Devil certainly feels more at home among modern singer/songwriters from John Mayer to Rufus Wainwright than it does next to the String Cheese Incident. Even though he's cut a lot of fat off his songs, he still favors meandering to directness, which combined with the deliberately somber mood of the album means this often sounds like Automatic for the People as written and performed by Sting. The end results are a bit unwieldy, perhaps, and not always successful, but it is interesting and certainly different than a Dave Matthews Band record. Most importantly, even if it is a rather modest success, Some Devil does showcase a continued growth for Matthews as a songwriter. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Some Devil is the debut solo album by musician Dave Matthews. It was
released on September 232003 on RCA Records. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA, signifying over a million copies sold. The album features several guest
musicians, including long-time Dave Matthews Band collaborator guitarist Tim Reynolds and
Phish frontman and guitarist Trey Anastasio. The album's
first single, "Gravedigger," won a Grammy Award in 2004. Some Devil was produced by
Stephen Harris, who had previously worked with Dave Matthews Band on their
2002 album Busted Stuff.
Critics have said that the album is darker than Matthews' past albums with his band. Many fans, while at first skeptical of
Matthews' desire to release a solo album, quickly praised his efforts. The album is noted for its moodier tone and the fresh
direction shown in Matthews' songwriting.
Since 2003, Matthews has performed Some Devil material in concert with a group coined Dave Matthews & Friends, which consists mainly of musicians that appear on the
album.
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