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http://www.rollingstone.com/assets/images/album_review/matchbox-twenty-north-album-cover-1346870746.jpg North

Matchbox Twenty

North

Emblem/Atlantic
Rolling Stone: star rating
Community: star rating
5 3 0
September 3, 2012

Torn hearts, funk-fed beats and eloquent balladry – the first Matchbox Twenty album in more than a decade is a plush showcase for Rob Thomas' smooth-as-ever singing. On "She's So Mean," a droll look at addiction and a master class in snappiness, he gets sucked in by a Bacardi-guzzling, record-scratching, crazy-making girl; on "The Way," romance ends, rich harmonies ricochet, guitars go astral and Thomas' composure cracks; on "How Long," a guy yearns for the next level of "carrying on," as gawky verses progress to pop poise. Every song here goes for immediate payoff – as Thomas broadcasts on "Radio," they have been built for lifetimes.

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