Matchbox Twenty are back with their third album, and clearly experience is starting to count in their favour. More Than You Think You Are (Atlantic) is a self-assured collection of songs, with the band adding just enough variety to the basic pop-rock recipe to keep it fresh and stimulating.
As a matter of fact, only two tracks, Unwell and The Difference, are plain old middle-of-the-road pop-rock. Opener Feel’s heavy guitar riffs and Rob Thomas giving it all on vocals kick off the album on a strong, loud note, before going into hit single Disease (co-written by Thomas and Mick Jagger), with its insistent, swaggering rock reminiscent of Santana — maybe Thomas was inspired by performing with Santana on Smooth. Bright Lights starts like a gentle, early Billy Joel song, before going into a lively folk-rock jam with a catchy chorus.
All I Need continues the folk-rock mode — it could easily have been a Traveling Wilburys track. Hear funk-rock with You’re So Real, gentle melodies on Could I Be You and ballad Hand Me Down. Downfall would have been a rather standard rock song, if not for the addition of a gospel choir giving it a softer, more melodious edge. Unfortunately Soul turns out to be a plodding, country-twanged semi-ballad.
This crafty versatility has proved that Matchbox Twenty have some valuable aces up their sleeves. It might not quite be a Grammy winner, but it’s a rewarding listen anyway.
Opera Babes: Beyond Imagination (Sony)
Soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo Karen England have performed at FA Cup soccer finals. On this pop-opera CD they cover famous pieces like the Lakmé Flower Duet (and a silly dance mix of this) and do interesting tracks like You Live On in My Heart, a reworking of Ennio Morricone’s Cinema Paradiso theme. The Babes’ voices mesh well: it’s easy on the ear, worth listening to. — Riaan Wolmarans
Sash!: S4! (EMI)
Passable house with star guests (Boy George, Sarah Brightman) that’s mostly better than his hits of the Nineties (remember Ecuador?). — Riaan Wolmarans
Various: Now That’s What I Call Music! 33 (EMI)
Predictable hits. If you can stomach Britney Spears on the same CD as Coldplay, this one is for you. — Riaan Wolmarans