Released almost 11 years to the day after its smash-hit filled debut, Yourself or Someone Like You, Matchbox Twenty’s Exile on Mainstream pulls one of the more recent industry tricks with its latest release by packaging just six new songs (seven, if you pre-order from iTunes) on a double-disc release of greatest hits.
This way of double-dipping is nothing new, and with Exile on Mainstream, Matchbox Twenty seems to have fallen prey to this syndrome. While the new tunes on Exile aren’t horrible (actually, they are some of the better material the band has released), the album really isn’t worth it unless you’re an absolute diehard fan of the band – and how many of those are there, really?
After a bit of lineup shuffling that saw guitarist Adam Gaynor leave the band in 2005, the band took a break to pursue other projects (including the Rob Thomas solo effort, Something to Be) before reuniting for this album. And former drummer Paul Doucette replaced Gaynor on the guitar, turning Matchbox Twenty from a five-piece into a four-piece.
The band made positive moves while creating Exile on Mainstream, such as enlisting the help of the always fantastic Steve Lillywhite. The man behind such diverse listings as Phish’s Billy Breathes, the first three Dave Matthews Band albums and four of U2’s albums seems to fit perfectly with a band like Matchbox Twenty – but Lillywhite seems wasted here. Although here Matchbox Twenty sounds more mature musically than on previous albums, the band’s use of such a fantastic producer for only a handful of new tracks seems like a travesty.
The album’s single, “How Far We’ve Come,” recalls U2’s recent work (big shock there!), and the accompanying music video might as well come from U2 also, right down to Rob Thomas’ dance moves behind the microphone stand and the political imagery it utilizes. The bright guitars and clean drum sounds could have come from U2’s The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr., and they fit perfectly behind a strong vocal effort by Thomas’ vocal effort. As a result, “How Far We’ve Come” sounds leaps and bounds better than its predecessors, both in terms of quality of writing and the depth and layering of the music.
Overall, the new material on Exile on Mainstream is very good, and a successful musical shift for the members of Matchbox Twenty. Gone is the raspy, subdued nature prevalent on the previous albums, replaced instead with an upbeat nature that fits the band well. It’s too bad the band didn’t release an album produced wholly by Lillywhite, for people will now have to wonder what might have been – but even still, Exile on Mainstream is a solid effort by a Matchbox Twenty headed into a new, enjoyable direction.
tripp@umd.edu
