North by Matchbox Twenty

                  Matchbox Twenty is my favorite band.  When I pick up one of their albums I know I will enjoy it.  I would be absolutely shocked if I did not.  That is how much I like this group.  Now, this does not mean I do not have any objectivity.  I do, but I like this band so much that the negatives of an album are always far outweighed by the positives.        

                To be honest, I am not sure where to start with North, Matchbox Twenty’s newest album.  It is the first completely new one in quite awhile.  There was Exile on Mainstream awhile back, but not all the songs on that one were new.  North is completely made up of new works.  When I found out this album was released, I was very anxious to hear it.

                Before I heard the whole album, I saw the videos for the two singles.  “She’s So Mean” is the first one.  It is very upbeat despite talking about a woman who is mean and does not treat the person who she is in a relationship with very well.  The second single is “Overjoyed”.  The video for this is really sweet as it goes through the relationship of a couple who have been together for at least fifty years.  It works so well with the song which talks about being there for each other.  I think this song is my favorite of the entire album.                

                Of course once I got the CD I was able to hear the entire album.  I like how there is a nice mix of upbeat and slower songs, usually after each other.  I spend my time wanting to jump around with one song and then the next comes on very calm and smooth.  This happens quite noticeably with “Our Song” and “I Will”.  As “Our Song” plays all I want to do is move around and dance with the music.  Immediately after this song ends, “I Will” comes on.  It is a beautiful and soothing song that brings all the energy I had with “Our Song” back down.  The next track is “English Town” which is a mix of the two feelings depending on where it is in the song.  I think it is good to have these different types of rhythms dispersed through an album.  Having the same one for too long can either get to be a bit much or make it feel as though all the songs are the same.                   

                The album ends with the song “Sleeping at the Wheel”.  I think this is a great song to finish everything off with because it is calm and uplifting despite the subject matter.  Listening to how someone has started going through life not paying attention is not the cheeriest thing I have ever heard, but the song concentrates on how it does not have to stay this way and it does not mean the end has come.  Things can be changed for the better.              

                When it comes down to it, North is about relationships, both good and bad.  This is relatable on so many levels.  Life is made up of all sorts of different relationships.  Each has an impact on our lives and relationships are what truly matter in the long run.  This is probably something most people need to remember as they get wrapped up in other things.  I think North can help them do just that.