**Away from the World** (new studio album)

[GSR]

I've really liked everything I've heard from the new album.

Me too. I think I'm going to enjoy it.

Also, no electric guitar from Dave yet.

[Evan]

Studio version of Mercy is good, but everything else hasn't done much for me.

[Blake]

Studio version of Mercy is good, but everything else hasn't done much for me.

[littlefriend]

I've accepted the fact that this band is never going to be the same again.

FYP

Those days are over. It's best to accept them for what they are now. You may not like what the band is doing musically (or lyrically), but the problem lies with your (in general, not you personally, bense) expectations of what the band currently is, not the band themselves. The band has moved on. The fans have not.

[Banjobach]

I've accepted the fact that this band is never going to be the same again.

FYP

Those days are over. It's best to accept them for what they are now. You may not like what the band is doing musically (or lyrically), but the problem lies with your (in general, not you personally, bense) expectations of what the band currently is, not the band themselves. The band has moved on. The fans have not.

way to put words in his mouth. it's also possible that bense, like me, doesn't like this band anymore because they have stagnated. The band hasn't moved on, at least not musically. They are all still doing long jam sessions (they're a jam band!@#@! of course they are. "Well fuck being pigeon-holed" I say) and playing all the same instruments (dave plays piano now and then, woopdi doo) and locked into what seems like the same songwriting and lyrical approach. Bands like Radiohead put the music before the egos of the musicians. They challenged themselves to learn new instruments and try to bring in new elements into their music. They have a philosophy to their approach, which is to not do something twice. Radiohead isn't the only band like this, of course, but I think it's a healthy attitude if you want to have some longevity as an artist or group. Keeps you from getting bored. Everything since BTCS has felt like treading water more or less. This band needs to take a radical left turn if they're ever going to get my attention again. THat's where I'm coming from. And fuck the fans, do what keeps you excited as an artist. They are at the point financially where they can take some risks. I don't feel the excitement when I hear their new stuff. Just more of the same. It's fucking stale.

[Coldchillin]

I'm somewhere along those lines as well, although I'd like to point out that LWS and BS, which came after BTCS, were still realllllllly good.

I think, like Banjo alluded to, the problem is that they're writing together and no one wants to tell Stefan that Hunger sucks or tell Boyd his 8th note solo spree is boring and annoying. I'm half hoping for the band to break up so we can at least get Dave to write on his own again.

[Evan]

I'm half hoping for the band to break up so we can at least get Dave to write on his own again.

Sadly, I feel this way too. The problem is definitely in the fact that they're writing process has changed to be more of a group effort. No doubt that happened as a way to appease everyone and keep the band together, but that came as a trade off for better music.

[littlefriend]

I've accepted the fact that this band is never going to be the same again.

FYP

Those days are over. It's best to accept them for what they are now. You may not like what the band is doing musically (or lyrically), but the problem lies with your (in general, not you personally, bense) expectations of what the band currently is, not the band themselves. The band has moved on. The fans have not.

way to put words in his mouth. it's also possible that bense, like me, doesn't like this band anymore because they have stagnated. The band hasn't moved on, at least not musically. They are all still doing long jam sessions (they're a jam band!@#@! of course they are. "Well fuck being pigeon-holed" I say) and playing all the same instruments (dave plays piano now and then, woopdi doo) and locked into what seems like the same songwriting and lyrical approach. Bands like Radiohead put the music before the egos of the musicians. They challenged themselves to learn new instruments and try to bring in new elements into their music. They have a philosophy to their approach, which is to not do something twice. Radiohead isn't the only band like this, of course, but I think it's a healthy attitude if you want to have some longevity as an artist or group. Keeps you from getting bored. Everything since BTCS has felt like treading water more or less. This band needs to take a radical left turn if they're ever going to get my attention again. THat's where I'm coming from. And fuck the fans, do what keeps you excited as an artist. They are at the point financially where they can take some risks. I don't feel the excitement when I hear their new stuff. Just more of the same. It's fucking stale.

Ease up, hoss. You said exactly what my FYP said: this band is never going to be the same again, meaning that the days of them trying to push themselves are gone. What I find interesting is how passionately you don't care about the band. That's great. Move along then and stop worrying about them not living up to your expectations.

[Elliottman]

I'm somewhere along those lines as well, although I'd like to point out that LWS and BS, which came after BTCS, were still realllllllly good.

I think, like Banjo alluded to, the problem is that they're writing together and no one wants to tell Stefan that Hunger sucks or tell Boyd his 8th note solo spree is boring and annoying. I'm half hoping for the band to break up so we can at least get Dave to write on his own again.

I actually told him on Twitter it sucks and he should let Dave do the writing, it obviously got to him because he re-tweeted it and made some comment which I cant recall but he wasnt happy

[markTR]

lol at thinking DMB could or would ever do anything like what Radiohead did. Thom Yorke hated being acoustic guitar, melody writing frontman guy. Dave Matthews is the prototype for that. And they're all perfectly comfortable with it.

[mdel21]

I am perfectly content listening to the first three albums and Dave and Tim shows. If one or two songs on each of the newer albums catch my attention, great.

[Banjobach]

I've accepted the fact that this band is never going to be the same again.

FYP

Those days are over. It's best to accept them for what they are now. You may not like what the band is doing musically (or lyrically), but the problem lies with your (in general, not you personally, bense) expectations of what the band currently is, not the band themselves. The band has moved on. The fans have not.

way to put words in his mouth. it's also possible that bense, like me, doesn't like this band anymore because they have stagnated. The band hasn't moved on, at least not musically. They are all still doing long jam sessions (they're a jam band!@#@! of course they are. "Well fuck being pigeon-holed" I say) and playing all the same instruments (dave plays piano now and then, woopdi doo) and locked into what seems like the same songwriting and lyrical approach. Bands like Radiohead put the music before the egos of the musicians. They challenged themselves to learn new instruments and try to bring in new elements into their music. They have a philosophy to their approach, which is to not do something twice. Radiohead isn't the only band like this, of course, but I think it's a healthy attitude if you want to have some longevity as an artist or group. Keeps you from getting bored. Everything since BTCS has felt like treading water more or less. This band needs to take a radical left turn if they're ever going to get my attention again. THat's where I'm coming from. And fuck the fans, do what keeps you excited as an artist. They are at the point financially where they can take some risks. I don't feel the excitement when I hear their new stuff. Just more of the same. It's fucking stale.

Ease up, hoss. You said exactly what my FYP said: this band is never going to be the same again, meaning that the days of them trying to push themselves are gone. What I find interesting is how passionately you don't care about the band. That's great. Move along then and stop worrying about them not living up to your expectations.

I care about this band. Their music might not do anything for me anymore, but it did once upon a time. I think that if they had evolved their sound in a more meaningful and contrasting way, I could look at their old stuff and enjoy it more. As it is, their "sound" has been over-saturated. Their earlier stuff was a more pure distillation of that sound, but as they went on, it became bloated and more of the same. This retroactively hurt the old stuff in a way.

As for the ridiculousness of the Radiohead comparison, I don't think it's so outlandish. Dave did, after all, write the article for the Rolling Stones gushing over Radiohead. He obviously has a great deal of respect for Yorke and crew. After reading that, I could see how he might be influenced enough by Radiohead's approach. And if he weren't surrounded by guys who are just happy to still be working, but rather people who think "if you have nothing new to say/play, don't say/play anything at all," I'd probably still be listening and waiting intently.

[bense27]

Mercy kinda sounds like it could be on Some Devil

[Blake]

I am perfectly content listening to the first three albums and Dave and Tim shows. If one or two songs on each of the newer albums catch my attention, great.

This is exactly how I feel

[DMBZeppelin]

Cali and the guy who listened in Lillywhite's car (confirmed by Lillywhite if you don't know that story) seem to have high praise for the album. It seems we've yet to hear the best songs. The teaser video with Drunken Soldier gives me hope the rest of the album is going to be good. While I like Mercy studio (needs work live). Cali said Belly Belly is his favorite song on the album which originally was going to be the single. Seems like they missed a chance to get the fanbase excited with a more upbeat song.