Top Five Albums of 2009 – #3

*This is part of a series of posts, please refer to the parent post for context*

#3 – Dave Matthews Band: Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King

To be honest, I thought DMB was over. Absolutely defined a lot of my undergraduate years (Under the Table and Dreaming, Crash and Before These Crowded Streets were party favorites regardless of the personalities in attendance), but recent efforts after the turn of the century like Busted Stuff and Stand Up failed to capture the "GrooGrux." So, I wasn’t going to buy this album, but then after a couple reviews from trusted music friends, I did – and boy am I glad. DMB is back in true form on this album, with emotionally charged lyrics and complex musical layering. Tim Reynolds returns for the first time since Before These Crowded Streets, and it's obvious his presence impacts the quality of what shows up on this album. The energy and passion in upbeat tracks such as Shake Me Like a Monkey and Why I Am is carefully balanced with the soothing comfort of the slower tracks like Lying in the Hands of God and Dive In. It’s a wonderful tribute to LeRoi Moore, who is missed but not forgotten as part of this collection.

Favorite Lyrics:

1. “I like most liquor, but I don’t like gin.”
2. “Confess I'm not quite ready to be left, still, I know I gave my level best.”
3. “Though we would like to believe we are, we are not in control, though we would love to believe.”

Favorite Tracks: 

1. Alligator Pie
2. Dive In
3. Time Bomb