Before These Crowded Streets, Dave Matthews Band, 1998, 1:10
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Probably nobody does the shambling, loose-limbed, rat-a-tat funk jam thing better than the Dave Matthews Band, but it's just not my thing. What really turned me off here was how on some tracks Matthews employs this over-the-top, growling, histrionic voice. Way too much drama in my jam, man. The otherwise beautiful, Middle East raga-tinged "The Last Stop" is particularly egregious in this regard. The overall musicality is superb. When he keeps things on an even keel, it's much more pleasant. Favorite tracks: "Rapunzel," "Don't Drink the Water," "The Stone."
