On April 30th, the Dave Matthews Band released "Crash," their third album. It is the band's second record with a major label. It quickly exceeded the high expectations I had after becoming a big fan of their second release, "Under The Table and Dreaming."

The new album is a mix of typical Dave Matthews Band material, along with a couple of funk-driven tunes like "Too Much," their current hit single. Carter Beauford, the drummer, sets the tempo with his thumping bass drum and intricate fills. The rest of the band, Dave Matthews (acoustic guitar and vocals), Boyd Tinsley (violin), Lerois Moore (saxophone), and Stefan Lesard (bass), also make solid contributions to the quality of the music. (Tinsley's work on "Trippin Billies," which is also on their independent debut "Remember Two Things," is awesome.) My favorite song is "So Much To Say." Some of the other good tunes include "Drive In Drive Out," "Two Step," "Crash Into Me," and "Lie In Our Graves."

I recommend this album to anyone who likes the Dave Matthews Band. It is easy to see that a lot of effort was put into this album to make a follow-up to "Under The Table and Dreaming." Their musical ability continues to grow. I think this album proves that the band is around to stay.