Mad Season ~ Matchbox Twenty ~ Pop ~ Rock ~ CD ~ Used VG

Barnes & Noble - David Sprague
After selling about a zillion copies of their debut album, matchbox twenty could have easily coasted along with a formulaic follow-up to YOURSELF OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU. But give them credit: Although they depart only slightly from the emotive hard rock sound on MAD SEASON's first single, "Bent," Rob Thomas and company do toss some new ideas into the mix. From the summery horn lines that propel "Black and White People" to the syncopated grooves that bubble under "Last Beautiful Girl," it's evident that Thomas has seen some new musical horizons while working with Carlos Santana on the multiple Grammy-winning "Smooth." Abetted again by producer Matt Serletic, the quintet make considerably more use of the studio than on the relatively stripped-down YOURSELF OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU, adding new layers of turbulent sonics to riff-fests such as "Angry" and "You Won't Be Mine" and manifesting a surprising sensitive side on such cuts as "Stop," which is punctuated by Thomas's melodic piano. Whether you've come to expect fist-pumping rock or smooth moves from matchbox twenty, MAD SEASON is guaranteed not to disappoint.