Dave Matthews keeps it going

Some Devil

Dave Matthews

RCA Records

For those reading…

Some Devil

Dave Matthews

RCA Records

For those reading this who have been under a rock for the past few months – or maybe longer – let me inform you that Dave Matthews has released a solo album.

Yes, it is true, but don’t freak out. This does not mean that the Dave Matthews Band is no more. Some Devil, the debut solo album from Dave Matthews, was a way to keep his creative juices flowing and give the rest of the band a much-needed break from the studio.

The album is an arrangement of 13 new tracks from Matthews. They are songs that never rose to the top with the band, but that Matthews wanted to experiment with a little bit, thus the release of Some Devil.

To help record the album, Matthews turned to some fellow musicians, including guitar greats Trey Anastasio of Phish and long-time friend and guest guitarist Tim Reynolds.

The first single released, “Gravedigger,” is an intriguing track that is a tale of souls lost to the other side. The chorus begs, “Gravedigger when you dig my grave/Can you make it shallow/So that I can feel the rain.”

Interestingly enough, there are two versions of the song. One is a full band version that rocks out and the other is a hauntingly elegant acoustic version.

The title track has a bluesy rock feel, and Matthews acted as a one man band, playing the electric guitar and singing with both a dark, eerie sound and a beautiful falsetto pitch. He sings, “Some devil some angel has got me to the bones/You said always and forever/Now I will leave you baby/You said always and forever/Is such a long lonely time.”

Another highlight of the album is the emotional folk lullaby “Baby.” The song was recorded live with Matthews playing the acoustic guitar and the Seatllemusic String Quartet members playing along.

“Baby it’s alright/Stop your crying now/Nothing is here to stay/Everything has to begin and end/The ship in the bottle won’t sail/All we can do is dream that/The wind will blow us across the water/The ship in the bottle sets sail.”

Filled with songs about life, death, love and agony, Some Devil has a different feel from track to track. Whether it is bluesy or soft as a lullaby, rock or reggae, every track brings you to a different world: Dave Matthews’ world.