Ralphy's C.D. Reviews

Review date 25-11-1998: Matchbox 20 - C.D. Yourself or someone like you

"Yourself or someone like you" is the debut-album of the 5-men band called Matchbox 20. The album was hugely succesful in the U.S.A., where especially lovestruck teens seem to have placed the band in their heart. In my homecountry The Netherlands Matchbox 20 haven't done so well yet. The single "Push" did get some airplay and came into the lower regions of the Dutch Top 100. All other 3 released singles didn't do anything in Holland. I believe that is to blame to the typical American rock-sound of Matchbox 20 and, in the same sentence should be mentioned, the often crappy musical taste of the European youth nowadays. Although as I already stated MB20 has a large teen-following their music is of a higher level than teenbands like the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync or Take That. First of all they play and write their own music and aren't just a singing group and secondly their sound really rocks.

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The album consists of 12 songs and although every song has a certain quality to it, the musical emphasis can be put on the first half of the CD in which all of their singles are represented. The biggest hit so far was the before mentioned "Push" which is probably the best song along with "Long day". Other singles besides these 2 were "Real world", "Back 2 good" (only in the US) and "3 AM" which was nominated for an MTV-award. The music of MB 20 is dominated by the voice of singer/songwriter Rob Thomas backed up thoroughly by guitarists Kyle Cook and Adam Gaynor, bass-player Brian Yale and drummer Paul Doucette. The music reminds me sometimes of Simple Minds albums like "New gold dream" and "Sparkle in the rain", it's rock, but with a certain new wavy touch. One point of criticism is about the lyrics. The songs are well written, but 12 songs about the same subject (girl troubles) might be a little too much of a good thing, although that is probably one of the reasons why teens identify themselves with the band, but older audiences look for a little more substance. Overall rate: 7.5 .

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