Photo courtesy of RCA

Being the huge Dave Matthews Band fan that I am (go on, groan all you want), I was pretty excited when the band announced that they were releasing yet another studio album. And after hearing the first single, “Mercy,” I was convinced that I was going to fall in love with a whole new set of DMB songs. But alas, I have set my expectations too high once again. Although there are some great tracks on this record, Away from the World doesn’t quite live up to the DMB standard of jam band excellence.

When I first heard “Mercy,” it was live at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis this past summer. And it was fantastic. I would argue that all of Dave’s songs sound 1,000% better at a live show, but I knew this one had the makings of a DMB hit. Personal lyrics, hypnotic beat, hauntingly beautiful horns: it was all there.

So I expected the same greatness from the rest of the tracks on Away from the World. At first listen, I thought I was justified in my excitement. “Gaucho,” also included as a live track on the album, had some pretty good qualities, and “The Riff’s” melancholy message and accompanying instrumentals really stuck with me. And anyone who appreciates Dave live can’t resist the lengthy jam at the beginning of “Drunken Soldier.”

The remainder of the tracks just didn’t do it for me. The majority of the lyrics center around romance, probably Dave’s relationship with his wife, which was the dominating subject matter in the band’s last album as well. I have nothing against a good love song, but 11? Come on now. And where are the electrifying jams that I’ve come to love and expect from these guys? They’re certainly missing from Away from the World.

I don’t know if taking a year off in 2011 hindered their song writing abilities, but this album just doesn’t shine like the others have. My only hope is that Dave and company find a way to recapture the intricacy and life that is in their old music and bring it into some new tracks sometime in the future.