MATCHBOX TWENTY
Mad Season (Lava/Atlantic)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

---

Rob Thomas is a certified star now, thanks largely to his recording with Carlos Santana, and guitarists Kyle Cook and Adam Gaynor have grown by leaps and bounds as players, but the new Matchbox Twenty album is so heavily produced that all the guts have been squeezed out of the music. It's beautiful and ornate and the writing isn't half bad, but the few songs that sound like they could have some punch are so loaded with production that any stray punch just hits padding. The padding is actually responsible for some of the best moments, such as the intro to "Bent," but it all ultimately folds in on itself to become product. Still, it's almost pulled off by Thomas, a talented young singer who gets plenty of chances to show it on these soul-tinged tunes. The pity is that the final product is forgettable ear candy despite (and largely because of) the obvious effort that went into it. On the other hand, that is just what sells in the current MTV-mediated market, so I guess the boys are crying all the way to the bank. Tell ya this, though; I'd sure love to hear "The Burn" with just two guitars, bass, drums and a vocal.

© 2000 - DJ Johnson