Dancing with the GrooGrux King
by Igo K. Gonzalez on July 28, 2009
All bands go through inevitable trials. Few, however, can say that they have gone through the tragic death of one of their own members. LeRoi Moore, the saxophonist of the Dave Matthews Band, passed away while the band started recording Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.
The intricate cover art, drawn by Matthews himself, depicts their departed saxophonist as a giant laughing head in the midst of a great parade. This image stands in stark contrast with the stoic Moore most people knew.
Big Whiskey opens with “Grux,” a ballad distinguished by Moore’s atmospheric sax. The album then shifts to wilder songs, such as the sexually-tinged “Shake Me Like A Monkey,” a song accentuated by the bite of Tim Reynolds’ electric guitar, and the pop, upbeat “Why I Am.”
The album’s lead single, “Funny the Way It Is,” has parts that eerily echo the radio-friendly sound of Maroon 5. Setting it apart, however, is the virtuosity of Carter Beauford’s drumming. Its lyrics are evocative in its use of irony: “Funny the way it is, if you think about it/Somebody’s going hungry, and someone else is eating out… Somebody’s heart is broken, and it becomes your favorite song.”
Amidst forgettable letdowns like “Dive In,” “Spaceman,” and “Alligator Pie,” the most intense track on the album is “Time Bomb.” Backed by a mix of delicate guitar and sax work, the agnostic Matthews screams his heart out: “Hammer in the final nail/I want to believe in Jesus.”
A Dave Matthews Band album wouldn’t be complete without its share of love songs. In the beautiful “Baby Blue,” Matthews reaches out to the listener with a voice brimming with sincerity: “Goodbye, my love, into your blue, blue eyes, in your blue, blue world.”
The album’s final cut, “You and Me,” is brimming with romance. In contrast to the lyrical conundrums of the more forgettable pieces, the lines here are catchy and austere: “You and me together/We can do anything, baby.”
Adversity reveals genius, they say, and genius does occasionally reveal itself in Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.
Because of the tragic death of Moore, it is in the more introspective songs where the album really shines. “Lying in the Hands of God,” with its somber vocal harmonization and chiming harmonics, sounds almost like a song of worship.
“Squirm” is a near-epic piece that features Eastern melodies dancing feverishly on top of a droning bass line. It’s an over-the-top song that works. Here, Matthews proves himself to be not just as a singer, but also a magnificently theatrical storyteller.
Big Whiskey isn’t perfect. Nonetheless, it is arguably the best release the Dave Matthews Band has had in a decade, and is definitely worth a listen.
Rating: 4 out of 5
