I have no problem admitting that when it comes to Dave Matthews Band, I am coo coo for Cocoa Puffs. I’ve seen them more than any other band I’ve ever seen in concert (truth be told, I’ve lost count. But I’m somewhere between 11-15 times). Not only are these guys tighter musically than Ralphie May in Spandex, but there’s something in Dave’s lyrics that speaks to me. Does that mean I’m an overgrown frat boy? Possibly. Hippie? Maybe. Do I smoke too much pot? Well, some may argue that there’s no such thing as too much pot.
Anyway, “Funny the Way it Is” is the first single from “Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King”, DMB’s upcoming album. Due out June 2nd, it’s the band’s first album without saxophonist LeRoi Moore, who tragically passed away last year from complications resulting from injuries sustained in an ATV accident. As any DMB fan would probably suspect, the band is celebrating LeRoi’s life more than they are mourning his death, and “Big Whiskey” will contain a healthy amount of input from Moore, scrounged up from hours of tape they had of him performing.
“Big Whiskey” is produced by Rob Cavallo, who has worked with everyone from the Goo Goo Dolls to Green Day, and the song is fairly recognizable as one of his productions. It’s got a crunchy rock sound, polished to a gleam. The lyrics are typical Matthews musings. Although his songwriting has grown by leaps and bounds over the past fifteen years, you can still spot a Dave lyric pretty easily. Overall, I like the song (and enjoy it more with each listen), and think this bodes quite well for the new album.
