Stand Up
Don't let the headless CGI dancer on the cover fool you. WhileStand Uphas a more organic feel than 2001's radio-readyEveryday, it is hardly an invocation for carefree days spent twirling on the grass. Instead it is a call to arms that carries over much of the insurrectionary spirit the Dave Matthews Band brought to 2004's Vote For Change Tour.Matthews, sounding rawer than ever, swerves between optimism ("To change the world you only start with one step," he sings on "You Might Die Trying") and angst ("See the man with the bomb in his hand/ Everybody wake up," goes "Everybody Wake Up [Our Finest Hour Arrives]"), while producer Mark Baston, best known for his small-time work with big-name pop acts likeBeyonceand50 Cent, responds by putting the marching band rhythms of Carter Beauford in the front and galvanizing the music with a crisp R&B; edge, most evident in the totally - okay, partially - crunk "Stolen Away On 55th & 3rd."--Aidin Vaziri