Album Review: Matchbox Twenty - North

It has been a long time since Matchbox Twenty have released a new album, almost ten years, and this album is a strange affair. Having conquered the world back in the late nineties, Rob Thomas went on to follow a solo career that was more successful than anyone would have thought. North starts out in true Matchbox Twenty style, yet it takes some strange directions on its way to the commercial radio stations.

Parade opens the album with the classic build up and personal lyrics one would expect from a Matchbox Twenty song. The single She's So Mean is more pop than necessary and it's a sign of things to come. The ballad Overjoyed is one of the last moments we get to hear the old band at work. The following tracks are all examples of a band that doesn't know which direction to head. Elements of dance and synth pop take over with Put Your Hands Up, which is a fun pop song that would suit a band much younger than these guys.

The band get all moody on English Town where they once again seem to channel eighties pop at its bleaker side. Rob Thomas sounds like he has just discovered Duran Duran and wants the band to follow him on his lyrical meanderings. For fans of the band, there are at least a few songs on North that reflect their traditional mid-tempo pop. Rarely do bands have such a long hiatus and come back with a great record, and North is not quite the success I imagine they hoped for.