Dave Matthews Band EVERYDAY

Dave Matthews Band: Dave Matthews (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, baritone guitar); Leroi Moore (flute, contra bass clarinet, alto & tenor saxophone, background vocals); Boyd Tinsley (violin, background vocals); Stefan Lessard (electric bass); Carter Beauford (vibraphone, drums, bongos, congas, background vocals). Additional personnel: Vusi Mahlasela (vocals); Carlos Santana (electric guitar); Glen Ballard (keyboards, programming). Recorded at Conway Studios, Hollywood, California. "The Space Between" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. The hugely successful EVERYDAY is a testament to the Dave Matthews Band's persistence and self-awareness in sticking with a sound and style of music that has changed little since its inception. With the exception of certain production flourishes and a more direct approach in the songs' presentation, it's an album that the band could have made anytime in the past decade, which is of course the secret of the band's success--it consistently delivers exactly what's required. And some of what's required this time round is an infectious, sexy shuffle in the form of "When the World Ends," which is about hot sex at the apocalypse (sample lyric: "your legs don't work 'cos you want me so"), a stadium-sized Bic-ballad in "The Space Between," the Matthews specialty stream of consciousness "Dreams of Our Fathers," and a Spanish-tinged "Mother Father" featuring, you've guessed it, Carlos Santana, on flamenco-inflected guitar. Carter Beauford is, as always, a one-man drum tutorial, and Matthews plays the stoner troubadour to perfection throughout. While the hot jamming is somewhat truncated on this outing, it's more than compensated for by the album's focused feel.

• Released: 2/27/2001
• Genre: Pop
• Format: CD